Misery Loves Ward Who Loves Company
by AreYouAlright
Summary: Ward is restless and alone after the events of season 1. Rated M for possible future stuff. Mostly fluff, because come on, that guy needs some good. It's a slow burn. And hey, feel free to leave feedback! I don't own anything from Iron Fist.
1. The Introduction

THREE WEEKS AFTER THE SEASON 1 FINALE

Ward stared at the forms on his desk. He's been doing that a lot lately. Staring. Not necessarily at forms though. Not necessarily at anything. Though sometimes he stares at the door of his office, waiting for Joy to come in, but she hasn't. His phone doesn't ring when he stares at it either. He would stare out the window, but then his reflection would come into view and he didn't want that in his life. He could handle getting ready in the mornings, tying his ties, fixing his hair back, straightening his collar, but he didn't actually want to look at himself. And so he stared at things. Like the forms. On his desk.

Around 8 pm he noticed the hall lights click off. Megan must have left for the night. _Hm... maybe I should leave for the night too..._ Ward gathered his papers together into neat stacks in order of importance and clipped them in their piles before sliding them neatly into a desk drawer. He paused for a moment, staring at the pill bottle peaking out at him from under the papers. After a heavy, drawn out sigh, he shut the drawer and made his move to leave. He hadn't touched narcotics since that day, why start now. Though his liver might not thank him for that.

In the elevator, he popped two Tylenol and stared at the floor rather than the shiny doors reflecting his pale face back at him. He sent his text to summon his driver on the way down. It used to be that he would drive himself most days, but that was just in case. Just in case of a lot of things, which usually had to do with him answering summons of his own. But that doesn't happen these days. And after catching himself staring mindlessly at a green light for the Nth time, he decided it would be a public service for him to use a driver, that way he could be as mindless as he needed.

"Evenin' Mr. Meachum," Glen, his driver greeted him while opening the door. He was duly ignored as Ward slid into the back and poured himself a finger of scotch only to resume his staring at the seat in front of him.

Glen drove him home in silence without having to be told to be quiet.

–

Once at home, he made two pieces of toast and poured another drink only to glare at the items, sitting on the counter, as though they had personally offended him. What a pathetic dinner to go with his pathetic life. Had he not done all he could to escape his father and be free? Had he not done everything in his power to keep Joy safe? And now here he was, free, with nothing to do and no one to do it with.

Ward leaves his dinner and tears his suit off with more anger than it really needed, changing to his regular street clothes and ignoring Joy's voice in his head saying that he needs to buy something in a color other than black. On his way through the kitchen, he vindictively dumps the drink in the drain and grabs his cold toast to eat as he walks out the door.

It's his third night sitting alone at a table for two in one of the cleaner bars in the city. It's more of a cabaret really with the dimmed lights and soft jazz backing up the sultry singer on the stage, he chooses the same table every time, because while wanting other humans in his vicinity, he's not ready to sit at a bar and risk small talk.

His strategy failed this night. In the lull of singing, the singer sits down across from him. So he stares at her with what he hopes isn't a glare, however much he might be annoyed. The laws of upper society he's learned at least keep his facial expressions in line these days.

"So you remind me of my sister," the obviously unnatural blonde with too much make up states.

"... Okay."

The blonde stares back with wide, innocent looking eyes that don't fit her gaudy tight clothing. "You've been in this same spot for a couple nights now. And you zone out during what I think are some of my best songs. I'll try not to be hurt. But you got this walking wounded look about you and you remind me of my sister."

Ward leaned back, putting distance between himself and the flood of words pouring from the singers mouth. "I don't know where you're going with this, and to be honest, I'm not interested."

"That's a shame, she's a sweet girl, good with the lost puppies like yourself, even the rich ones. She does the same zoning out thing some days. Always was a fan of escapism, even if she didn't have a book. Or a lost puppy," the blonde winks at him. "Anyway, you're missing out and I gotta get back to the show." With that, the singer slid out of her seat and sashayed back to the door reading "STAGE ENTRANCE – EMPOYEES ONLY" in cheap gold lettering.

 _Fuck social feux pas._ Ward glared at the back of the singer as she left and stood to make his own exit. _Lost puppy my ass._

–

Walking down the street late at night, Ward eyed the signs on the shop fronts trying to decide what to do with his time when he spots a 24 hour coffee shop advertising books for sale. _God, I don't even remember the last book I had read, let alone as a free read._ He stepped in to the shop and was assaulted with the smell of coffee and the mustiness of new and used books hidden just underneath. What stopped him two steps in was the squeak and simultaneous thunk. Turning to his right he watched as a woman untangled her legs from a blanket before getting off the floor and tossing the offending item back on the recliner she had clearly tripped off of.

"Hi! Just, ah, let me get behind the counter quick. Sorry."

As the woman stepped passed him, he took in the choppy pixie cut barely making it as high as his nose and her over-sized dark blue sweater over leggings ensemble and... mismatched socks. Whereas his last haunt screamed "trying too hard," this coffee shop had nooks and crannies of all shapes and sizes to hide one's self away in formed by awkwardly placed book shelves and over-stuffed love seats. It was a mess that quietly said "Plans are a lost cause, let's be lost here."

Stepping up to the counter, Ward got a look at her face. She had soft eyes with hints of dark circles underneath with the lightest of wrinkles where her brow furrowed as she looked for her pen. Upon finding it under a newspaper sporting the most recent sightings of Daredevil and the most recent public moves by the local mega corporations, she finally looked up at him and broke into an easy smile.

"What can I get ya?"

"I'll take a large coffee, double shot, please. No cream or sugar." He didn't have it in him to force an answering smile so he busied himself getting his cash out of his wallet. "Mind if I borrow this paper too?"

"That'll all be $2.50, and go for it. But there's loads of better reading in this place. Just 'cause the world's burning, doesn't mean we have to drown ourselves with it."

"Well, I'd like to know if I'm on fire all the same. It helps with putting out the flames." The cashier stared back at him as though she were surprised by him responding at all. Which he was himself, but that didn't mean that she had a reason to be.

"Sorry." She flashed her smile again. "I guess I get a bit cynical on the quiet nights. Grab a seat where ever you like. I'll bring you your coffee."

Ward was glad for the simple instructions to follow, putting himself back on autopilot as he chose another over-stuffed piece of furniture in an out of the way corner with a small side table tucked haphazardly in next to the chair. It was isolated and hidden, but still near enough to another human being to hear them move around the shop and settle back in to her own nest and turn her own pages as they both read in silence, the only sound from them and the quiet radio playing oldies in the kitchen.

* * *

And that's where he quietly stayed, perusing the paper, until he accepted the need to go home and get some shut eye before work hours hit.

On the fourth night of the same week, he asked the barista if she worked each night. "Some times I will take a night off. But the place obviously isn't the busiest, so sometimes working is the same as having the night off. I basically just do whatever I like with the down time. Read books, watch movies, nap, whatever."

"Mm, and you're manager doesn't mind?"

"Oh, I'm the owner," the pleased grin he's come to expect from her flashes again, "so the manager most definitely does not mind... What about yourself? Do you spend each night with eyes solely for depressing news articles and caffeine? And your manager doesn't mind a sleepy, over-caffeinated worker?"

Ward laughed, more of a stifled bark than anything. Then it hit him. _She doesn't know who I am._ The thought struck him with surprise. She doesn't follow the news. She's practically a hermit in the middle of a city. He had been so used to being identified, idolized, interrogated, and watched that he didn't even realize what a breath of fresh air it was to meet someone as a stranger on both sides. "Ah, no, manager doesn't care. Not in the least actually."

"Ha! What a world. Anyway, go grab your seat, I'll bring you your coffee."

With that, Ward found himself once more in his safely isolated corner, gently moving the stack of books from his chair to the floor and only mostly ignoring the sticky note with feminine penmanship spelling "Mr. News, how about these?" The nickname made the corners of his mouth twitch at most, but he was mostly amused by tonight's choices. A steamy-looking romance novel, a how-to on auto maintenance, a bird-watching guide, and... another smut novel. The barista had taken to leaving a small stack of random books on his chair each night to convert him from reading the paper. He stared at the chair for a moment, taken by surprise for the second time in as many minutes by his possessiveness of the space. _So this ratty thing is mine now?_ Running his hand through his hair, Ward sat down and opened the paper to the business section, listening to the barista hum short, broken stanzas quietly. It doesn't bother him, but he finds himself wanting her to commit to the song and go the whole way through. She doesn't.

Soon after, the barista appeared around a shelf and sat his coffee on the side table, frowning at the stack of books he set to the side. "One of these nights, I'm going to pick the right type for you."

Ward glanced at her, his eyes relaxing ever so slightly as he feels his lips quirk, "You think steamy romance novels are my type?"

Her cheeks flush for an instant at his question before she grins again, "Steamy romance is everyone's type, it's just no one talks about it." She flees his corner, still blushing.

* * *

Ward tries to ignore his sense of accomplishment.

Friday rolls around and Ward is trying his best not to tap his fingers or his leg as one of his councilman drones on. The council members in the room had been at it since lunch with only a short break to eat a light dinner and he was ready to go home, change, and go hide. It was already latest they've stayed this week. Half of the room was adamant that they should repopulate the management of a newly acquired business they bought out while the other half was certain Rand should leave the current leaders in place. Ward was all for leaving them. The only reason the company had failed and needed a buyout was due to them not having the correct expectations and resources to begin properly. Actually, Ward was impressed by the business plan the former owners had developed, though he would never say it. All it needed was some fine tuning to account for common mistakes new businesses often make and he thought it could hit the ground running this time around.

As soon as the speaker paused for a breath, Ward jumped in, with his voice calm, if slightly bored. "I motion that we call it a night and revisit the issue on Monday morning."

The council members all turned to stare at him. "You have somewhere to be, Mr. Meachum?" the speaker questioned, looking at Ward as though he were a Jack-in-the-box that just popped.

Ward smiled with what he hoped wasn't a grimace, "It just seems that we are all at a stalemate and maybe the weekend will let us think it over more clearly. These are, after all, peoples' livelihoods we are talking about and I know none of us want to make that kind of decision lightly." The councilors nodded, some more readily than others, and agreed to return to the topic first thing Monday. Ward sighed as he stood and walked to his office door. He smiled at Megan in greeting, earning him and uncertain smile in return. "You don't have to stay so late on a Friday night. I can handle everything from here if you'd like to go." The papers she was shuffling slid from her fingers to the desk as she looked up in surprise.

"You just... never send me home early. Have I done something? Did I fail to do something?" Megan's eyes were wider than usual as she looked up in questioning terror.

"What? No. You're fine. I just figured you'd have stuff you'd want to do. I mean, even I want to get out of here." Ward silently scolded himself, wondering how much of his father's penchant for business he had inherited and if it was destroying his employees like it had destroyed him. He didn't want Megan to turn into a Kyle. "Really though, we work you too hard. You are actually allowed to get out on time." At her shocked look he continued. "It's fine. The sky won't fall and you're job will still be here for you the next day. Go home, or do whatever you do on Friday nights."

Megan's mouth finally shuts, "Yes, sir. Thank you, and yeah, I'll get going. I'll just put these files away first."

Ward nodded, "Have a good weekend." He stepped into his office without waiting for a reply. Sitting at his desk, he felt like a child that didn't know what he was doing. The problem of the meeting was a simple one, and he should have been able to close the deal within the afternoon, if that. Slouching lower, he couldn't help but think of Joy and how she was such a natural at winning the council over to her way of thinking. Maybe he was just too damaged to make them connect the dots. Or maybe he was just too damaged to connect himself. Or maybe he was just too damaged period.

He ran both of his hands back through his hair and leaned back, glancing over at his father's portrait, still facing the wall so he wouldn't have to really look at it. His hand went to the desk drawer to his right. He moved a folder and picked up the little orange pill bottle. Staring at it in his hands, he gave the bottle a light shake to hear it's contents. The muscle relaxants bounced together, calling to him. Instead, he just gazed at the bottle, held in his hands, on his desk, on the same floor his father worked, in the building he's sold his life to. Ward set the bottle back in the drawer and walked out the door. Caffeine would do for now.

–

Deciding he should have worn a coat, Ward throws the door of the coffee shop open, eager for warmth only to freeze all over again at the girl behind the counter. It wasn't his barista. _There's that possessiveness again. Maybe I should start going somewhere else._ But it's too late, the girl looks up and grins. "Thank god! You must be Mr. News. Hey are you any good with economics? I have an exam on Monday and this assignment is due that morning and it's kicking my ass."

Ward blinks. She's a tiny thing with a dark bob cut to match her smooth dark skin and shining eyes. While the normal woman's eyes always seem physically tired like his own, this girl is alive and thriving. "Is... the usual woman not working tonight?" He kicks himself for not having gotten her name.

The girl smiles and raises an eyebrow. "Why? Do you think the menu's lacking tonight?"

Ward blinks again. "Large coffee. Double shot. No cream or sugar."

"Alright," she drawls. "$3.50. It's an extra dollar, 'cause you didn't laugh at my joke," she sang. "Really though, do you know what any of these scenario questions are asking because the internet is full of trolls and I am going to fail."

He feels his brow furrow, but he forces a small smile. "Fine, let me see the assignment. Does your boss care that you do homework on the job?"

"Oh hell no. Eva actually added it to my job description." She replied.

 _Eva is it?_

"It's in writing and everything," the girl continues. "It's because I complained too much about my little sisters being too distracting back home. I should have just kept my mouth shut. And then she told me that I will have an extra hour long break from the shop, specifically to work on homework. It's disgusting."

Ward smirked. "Well I'm not going to just give you the answer. Coffee. And we'll sit down and go over it."

The hour passed by as Ward and his new barista, Kay, went over her economics assignment. And then went over it again so that Kay could explain it back to him. She was a bright girl who he decided simply put too much thought into the questions, making them more complicated than they needed to be. It didn't help that she would get off topic at every turn, talking about the latest gossip in her classes _(I don't even know these people, why is she telling me all of this?)_ , the things she's learning as a new freshman, and what teachers she "absolutely cannot stand." For the most part, Ward avoided rolling his eyes. Just for the most part though. He was able to redirect her back to the her papers, but then she started talking about work and her boss. _Eva._ He tried less hard then.

"So I thought Eva worked every night. She hasn't gotten sick, has she?" He posed the question with seeming disinterest as he crossed out incorrect notes in Kay's notebook. "You're a terrible note-taker by the way."

She smiled a knowing smile "Don't even, I can tell you got the hots for my lady boss, I mean, you're in every night this week. And you don't know that. Maybe it's new info. You weren't there."

Ward kept his face neutral and looked up at her from across the table, using what his sister would call "a withering look."

She giggled.

 _Oh what the fuck. Is she unflappable or have I lost my edge for intimidating young people? "_ I'm just saying, she seems to enjoy working nights here, so it must be something important that would cause her absence." He manages to keep a majority of the disdain out of his voice. It's not that he dislikes her. _I'm just stuck. That's all._ _It's just so hard to sound like anything other than miserable._

Kay huffs. "Nah, she's not sick. She went out to hear some of her sister's new songs a couple blocks over. The lady does jazz, I guess. I don't think Eva even likes jazz, but there you go. I think that ever since-" Ward watches as the gears in Kay's head grind to a complete halt and switch directions. "She and her sister have just been trying to get together more often lately. You know how it is, big cities, people drift apart."

* * *

Ward hmms, he does indeed know how it is and he politely ignores the redirect. Reassuring Kay, that if she tries reviewing the material one or two more times that she should at least pass on Monday, Ward calls it a night. Kay thanks him excessively for the help and gives him an extra cup of coffee for the road, telling him to show up again next Friday for more riveting schoolwork- and gossip. She also indiscreetly let's him know that Eva will be back the next night at 6 pm sharp. He feels like an old hen leaving the coffee shop this night, but once again, he is happier than he was when he got here. And with not hearing from Joy nor Danny at all for the last few weeks, he figures that's the most he can ask for.

Saturdays. A lot of time with nothing to do. Ward had tried sleeping in, 8 was as late as he could go. He tried watching television. Nothing caught his interest. So he went to a gym to get out of the house. He tried ignoring the clocks and his watch and the time on his cell phone that still showed zero new messages and no missed calls. Ward thought about going to the shooting range, but since his father, well, he just didn't want to fire a gun for a while. _Nothing wrong with that. Anybody would want to wait. It's normal._ He settled for picking up some new clothes. Shirts with actual color, even if they were still muted tones. _Joy would be so proud._ The sarcasm in his head was nothing new, but the bitterness was.

Ward sat down in the changing room, slightly surprised by the anger he felt towards his only living family. _But why wouldn't I be angry? All that I went through, and she never even cared to listen to my side of the story, she just up and leaves after- … After I killed dad. Twice._ The shame returned but the anger remained, even as he mechanically reminded himself that that thing wasn't their father.

* * *

He doesn't look in the mirrors. He buys the clothes and leaves them in their bags. He doesn't touch them for the next two weeks or so. And he doesn't return to the coffee shop either. He does buy a couple large bottles of bourbon though.


	2. The Background

So here is chapter 2 I guess. We will see how my momentum keeps up. I work the next 3 nights, so tonight will be lots of posts I guess.

 _What a terrible day._ Ward trudges through his door and goes straight to the cabinet he keeps his alcohol in. It's empty bottles. The trash can isn't. _What a_ _ **terrible**_ _day._ The thought reiterates itself a number of times before he changes out of his suit and tie to more casual clothes. There wasn't anything really wrong with how his work day went. But there wasn't anything good either. And there hasn't been anything good in a day for a long while. With no small amount of irritation, he slams the door on his way out.

–

Stepping inside, he breathed the coffee and book air as though he was coming home and it bothered him. There was also something new to the air, a baked good of some sort. He could hear a giggle coming from the back of the kitchen as he approached the counter. This was the earliest he had ever arrived at the coffee shop and he didn't know who he could expect to be there. He waited for a moment before tapping the small metal bell on the counter top. A dark face marred by flour poked out from the open doorway.

"Mr. News! You didn't show up to our study date last week! I passed the exam, not that you care. I can't believe you made me work through that next assignment alone though!" Her frown was fierce and her tone belligerent, even though she slipped a smile in at the end.

"I told you that you can't enslave the customers!" Eva's voice rung out from the back, soon followed by Eva herself. "Oh, long time, no see. I thought maybe you moved on to greener pastures." While Kay was covered in flour, Eva was covered with an apron, which in turn was covered in flour. "Or that maybe a certain someone scared you off with the promise of Economics homework." She sent a look Kay's way.

Kay was too busy trying to get the flour off of her top to notice. "Don't be that way. We had a blast together, didn't we, Mr. News." It wasn't a question. "You know what? You should try one of these pastries. Eva and I can't agree on whether or not they are any good. We found the recipe online."

And suddenly he was holding a small plate with what looked like a danish with some sort of compote peaking through from the center and frosting drizzled on top. He looked to Eva.

"No, you can't ask her. If she tells you what she thinks, you'll be biased." Kay's voice was absolute and both Ward and Eva turned to blink at her.

"Yeah, you're not allowed to turn customers into guinea pigs anymore either," Eva murmurs.

Kay smiles back, ever so innocent before turning back to Ward. "Eat it."

Ward raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Are rodent slaves allowed the luxury of coffee with their rations or should I smuggle this elsewhere?"

Eva snorted back a laugh, "I'll get that for you. Kay, ring him up?"

"No, I'll grab it. You ring him up." Kay was gone in a whirl of flour, leaving Eva to stare after her with a slight frown on her face.

Turning to Ward, she smiles. It's softer than her usual grins and looks a bit more tired than he remembers. "Okay, $2.50 then."

He hasn't got it in him to smile, so once more he hides behind getting cash from his wallet. He leaves a five dollar bill on the counter and grabs a fork, moving to sit at one of the few actual tables in the shop.

Kay flies back into the room, cup in one hand, and a notebook and textbook in the other. Eva's smile falls, but she doesn't have time to intercede before Kay is sitting at Ward's table, books laid open. "Alright, my friend. So we went over this chapter in class, but I have a few questions."

"Kay, you **cannot** make the customers do your homework." Eva rubbed her temple with exasperation.

Kay glanced questioningly at Ward.

Ward shrugged.

"Mr. News, will you willingly and of your own accord please help this confused college student continue to pass her class?" Kay widened her eyes.

 _This is not at all what I expected in coming here early._ Ward glanced at Eva. "I don't mind and it doesn't take too long."

Kay lit back up. "You should sit with us too, Eva!"

Eva looked at the table with hesitation. She glanced back to the recliner, hidden away in the front corner. "Alright. But I'm getting some hot chocolate first. Kay, want some?"

"Yes," she draws out. As Eva disappears to the kitchen, Kay leans back, eyes satisfied. "This. This will be good."

"What are you even talking about?" Ward asks.

Kay promptly pushes her textbook forward. "I already did a lot of the assignment. On my own, I might add." She sends Ward a glare and he rolls his eyes. "But some of the answers don't feel right, mainly because they come out different than the answers in the back of the book. But I don't know how to get the answers from the back."

Ward pulls the text the rest of the way towards him and has to push away the memories of him and Joy working on homework together through high school and college. He glances over the title of the chapter and the headings within, taking note of bold text and highlighted terminology.

Eva enters the room and sets the cocoa on the table for Kay and after a moment of hesitation, sets her drink down between Kay and Ward.

Kay smirks.

Eva glares.

"So if you own your own business, then you must be decent at economics. Why isn't she enslaving you for her homework?" Ward doesn't miss the way Kay doesn't look to Eva, nor the pause Eva takes before responding.

"I wasn't the one with the head for business when we opened," is all she offers. "I know enough to get by though. But I am, by no means, an expert. Actually, I think it's really confusing."

"Oh? So you had a business partner?"

Eva shifts in her seat before answering. "Yes, my husband. But he died about 2 years ago, so I've been running the shop on my own."

Ward straightens in his seat. _She's so young to be a widow._ "I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." He doesn't know what he didn't realize. But he still felt he should say it. The silence is awkward.

Kay stretches. "So," she stretches the word, gently trying to gain their attention. "basically we are going to use you for your seeming business acumen and see if it rubs off on us. I got a 100% on that assignment you helped me with. And that exam put me into a passing grade for the class. Just got to keep it up!"

Eva's lips quirk at her employee and Kay beams back in response, taking it that the moment was smoothed over.

Ward pushes his hair back with one hand while grabbing the notebook. "Okay." His voice does not sound certain. "I guess that's fine. You did feed me after all." The women look pointedly at the danish that he has yet to touch. He clears his throat and reaches for his fork.

"So, what have you been up to the last couple of weeks? I thought, for certain, that you were going to be a new regular." Eva leans her elbows on the table, gently blowing into her hot chocolate.

"Yeah, Eva and I argued over which books to recommend you and everything. I thought we all had a good thing going to." She shook her head in mock dismay.

Ward felt his lips twitch. "Ah, I had some issues at home I had to work through is all." _And bottles. But no pills._ He thinks the last part with a tone of bittersweet pride.

"Oh, wife troubles?" Kay asks, her lips in a permanent smirk.

"No wife." Ward automatically responds, raising his left hand, fingers splayed to show the lack of ring. _I wouldn't do that to anyone._ But he feels another twitch at his mouth as he watches Eva shoot a glare at Kay and Kay's answer flash of a grin. _This is a setup! I've been in worse. And it's good to see that she's immune to everyone's glares, not just mine._ He momentarily thinks back to a fundraiser last year where Joy had tried setting him up with a friend of hers from college. He went through a couple drinks then too, but he still couldn't forget that horrible high-pitched voice. _Never have I ever been set up with a widow before though, I'm such a mess that it probably wouldn't end well for either of us._ He hmms to himself and the women look back at him. He clears his throat again, "It looks like in this problem you didn't account for liquidation of leftover materials." That's all he can offer that second so he tries a bite of the pastry, immediately following it with a sip of his hot coffee.

Eva turns to Kay, "I told you it was too much sugar."

"You don't know that, jeez. Let him at least taste the bite first." Kay looks over at Ward, hope in her eyes.

"That was very... sweet," he bites out haltingly.

"Alright! Fine, you win. Next batch we will halve the sugar."

Eva smiles, her eyes look less tired this time and Ward feels a third twitch at his lips even though she's smiling at Kay.

Kay. Kay is smiling at him. _Don't encourage her._ Ward looks down at books in front of him, casually pushing the plate away from him. Forks appear from Eva's apron as if she knew it would happen and she and Kay both claim small pieces for themselves. Kay coughs passed her mouthful while Eva winces and scrunches her nose, shaking her head.

"You didn't even try it first?" It's more of an accusation than a question that leaves Ward's mouth. "What happened to not using innocent customers as guinea pigs?"

Kay covers her mouth with a napkin as she bursts out laughing while Eva's face turns red, trying not to smile with her mouth full. Eva rises from the chair and brings back cups of water and small buttered croissants to tame the aftertaste.

Eva coughed into her napkin, "So, you were going over her assignment?" She waved a hand elegantly for him to continue.

Ward accepts the poor change of subject, though he more than once references their abuse of him during the review. When his hands start shaking and his cravings start up, he just keeps his fists under the table and tries to focus on explaining finances to the two women at the table.

* * *

When he leaves that night, he manages a smile at the two women as they wave him off, noting the answering smile from Eva.

The next day, a meeting is canceled and Ward finds himself with an extra long lunch hour. Remembering a sign in his new haunt advertising breakfast and lunch from 6 am to 3 pm, he wanders to the shop to try their actual food. Stepping in, he is shocked to see other patrons present, he was used to being the only customer that actually stayed in the shop to drink his coffee. There were other business men and women scattered between the shelves and at seats and college students lounging in the over stuffed furniture and the window seats. Ward waited patiently, third in line, as the cashier rang up orders for hot sandwiches and drinks of all kinds.

He was disappointed to see that the cashier wasn't Eva, nor Kay, but he reasoned to himself that they seem to work a lot of off hours. Eva was likely sleeping and Kay had better be in her intro to biology class. _Better be? I'm getting far to attached to these people._ As he placed his order for a sandwich that actually had apple on it, he was shocked to see Eva step out of the kitchen, plates in hand, in the middle of the day.

She, in turn froze when she saw his face.

The cashier appeared distinctly uncomfortable.

"You're here for lunch?" Eva sounded excited to see him at least and he smiled in greeting. "And that's a very good looking you!" Her face switched to horror as he raised his eyebrows at her. "I mean, that's a very good looking suit. Excuse me, I have to deliver these." With that she swiftly walked passed him from behind the counter.

Ward turned to watch her walk away, avoiding looking at him. He looked over to the cashier who was blinking after Eva's less than graceful exit. "Um, would you like that for here or to go?"

 _Oh this could be entertaining. But it was a drive to get here and I really should try to be on time back at the office..._ "To go."

As he waited for his food, leaning against the wall by the door, he watched Eva flit about the shop, delivering meals, checking on customers, and getting smiles at every table. It was clear that there were a great number of regulars. He fidgeted with his cuff links, ignoring his irritation that she didn't have time to come talk to him like she did at night. _It's not like her or any world revolves around you, Ward. Jesus, get off your high horse, she has a business to run._ When another employee delivered his to-go bag to him he looked to Eva to wave goodbye. She frowned at the bag, but gave a shy smile and waved back.

–

That night, his fingers still shaking and his head a bit achy from deliberately not having any alcohol, he wandered in for a coffee. He was happy to see Kay working and not surprised to hear that Eva was upstairs sleeping. _Wait, upstairs?_

"Oh, she lives above here? That's got to be convenient for her." Ward leans his hip against the counter, folding his arms as Kay prepares his coffee.

"Yeah, well, she was training a newbie on day shift since the other manager called in sick. She also said that you looked oh-so-fine! today BT-dubs." She wriggled her brows. "And you know, one of these days, you should really do a proper introduction. Unless you like being called 'Mr. News.'"

Ward winced at her slang, ignoring her jab for his name. "I think that all sounds more like you than it does her." Then the corner of his mouth twitched up at the memory, of her look of horror. "It was entertaining though, you would have enjoyed it." He gave an only somewhat spiteful smile.

She giggled again. As she brought the coffee out, she didn't hand it to him and instead sat at the same table as before, producing a deck of cards and leaving his drink across from her.

Ward looked at her tiny frame and then looked over at the darkened windows. "You're parents are okay with you working nights alone?" He asks it before he even thinks, and even after, he ignores the thoughts in his head telling him that she needs to be kept safe. _Nothing's out there anymore. It's fine._ He puts those sentences on repeat as though they can drown out the thoughts of robberies and muggings in the paper each day.

Kay looks up and smiles lightly, "Actually, this neighborhood is way better than home. And my parents have other things to worry about." Her smile falters. "Besides, I like it here way better. And if I need anything, Eva's upstairs. She gave me a key to her place. And she gave me pepper spray to keep in my apron when I started. And a key to the shop door if I ever need to lock it. And a few other things. She's careful enough for the both of us."

Ward raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like it. What are we playing?"

Eva was in the middle of dealing them each cards. "Rumy. I told her she was getting a bit paranoid, but no one would blame her after what she went through with Keith." Kay winced, realizing what she had said too late.

"Hm... Can I ask how he died?"

Kay shifted in her seat and glanced at the doorway to the kitchen. It was the most ruffled Ward had ever seen her and he felt a pit in his stomach for asking. "Well... as I understand it..." she drew a card and stared at her hand. "As I understand it, they were madly in love. Like the stupid kind of love that people write songs about. But then he got into some bad crowd, I guess, and he started changing." There was silence as she chose a discard. "I guess that he started getting angry at tiny things. He started hurting her and saying things... And one night she defended herself and he didn't wake up again? I heard a shout and a thud from upstairs. It was..." Kay was adamantly staring at her cards, as though she were both afraid of his response and angry at the entire situation. "I went upstairs to check on them and she was kneeling over him trying to stop the blood. She was shaking all over and crying and... And he was a bastard for it. He was okay when I first met him, but he turned into such a bastard! But she had loved him, and it destroyed her... What kind of person puts that on someone else?"

Ward was very still. He knew well what kind of person put that on someone else. _I know it twice over._ He glanced up at Kay and was shocked at the level of anger the girl's watery gaze held at the cards. Ward's voice was quiet and sadder than he intended when he finally spoke, "People don't always stay the same. Sometimes they 180. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse. But we can't change people and we can't take their actions on ourselves. And we can't blame ourselves for protecting ourselves, or the people we care for. Everything that happened was because of him alone. The blame is on him." Ward was staring at his own cards now with an intensity that made his hands hurt. He wasn't even sure whom he was talking about anymore. His father and Keith could well be one in the same.

Kay sniffed and ran a finger under her eye. Ward set his cards down and took a drink of his coffee. Kay continued, "so the dreaded baggage is out of the way." She sniffed again and looked around the shop. "Now we can proceed with Operation: Get Eva a Nice Guy."

Ward choked in the middle of his swallow, sputtering as he frantically reached for a napkin for the scalding fluid he was coughing up.

Kay gave a tentative smile as he wiped his mouth. "Come on, I mean, it's not like I have been discreet about my plans for you two."

Ward raised a hand to signal her to stop talking.

She shrugged back at him and smiled a bit more forcefully, questions in her eyes.

Ward stood up, picked up his coffee, and walked out the door.

Kay did not.


	3. A Few Reveals?

Ward woke the next morning with a headache.

He had gone for a short walk after leaving Kay at the coffee shop. And purchased more bottles before heading home.

He had awoken many mornings since then with a headache.

He didn't think he'd be returning to that coffee shop any time soon. With Kay blatantly messing with things she didn't understand and Eva dealing with her own struggles, much like him... Well, he was probably the only one aware enough and experienced enough to recognize what a train wreck any of Kay's hopes what be. _I can barely help myself these days and I don't want to let anyone else down._ He was still trying to cope with the grief and guilt of the last couple months. _Or maybe that's years._ He had kept his father's secrets for a long time now. The things his father had done, the things he had made Ward do, and the things his father had wanted to do. Ward can still see the ceiling tiles floating passed him as he was dazed and dragged across the office floor, he can still feel the wet on the back of his head even though it's long since healed.

What haunted him in equal measure was the silent look his little sister had given him after he called to her from across the street. She looked at him, her eyes screaming that he was just a terrifying stranger to him now. And she had admired him _. She actually looked up to a piece of shit like me._ But not anymore. He had understood that she would want space. So he gave her space, but how much did she need? _It's been months. We are all we have left._ But she hasn't contacted him. And he didn't try to contact her, not anymore. He didn't even know where she had gone. _She's just gone_. The one and only time he had reached out to her was through a text.

"I'm sorry for everything. Please, come home."

He was getting too used to begging the people he loved.

That was a month after she disappeared.

Dragging his mind back to the present, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, looking down at his hands. His hands. Not his fathers.

 _'You are my creation. You belong to me.'_

 _Maybe not._ Maybe he doesn't belong to his father. Or maybe they aren't his hands. He doesn't know yet.

Standing, Ward dresses in his dark street clothes. Ignoring the package of colors still laying on his floor by the closet.

After freshening up for the day he pat his face with his towel and looked in the mirror for a brief moment. Maybe he had his own eyes at least. _The terrified eyes of an eight year old. Tired eyes._ He pictured Eva's eyes, right before Kay would say something rash to cheer her up. The way they looked down rather than ahead. The way the eyebrows twisted, an agonizing "I'm trying, this is the best I can do." He saw more of Eva in his eyes than he saw Harold. He smiled a small smile.

He put the towel down along with his gaze. Joy had told him he had a nice smile once. A few times actually. Though she also told him he should practice. But it had seemed that Harold had always smiled, and look how that turned out. The upward slant at the corners of his mouth disappeared and he left the mirror.

 _Why does everything have to be so goddamn hard?_ It was his go-to question and he didn't have an answer.

Ward stepped into the dimly lit nightclub, determined that he would not return to the coffee shop and the small corner that was no longer his. He could hear the jazz singer's voice drifting in and out of the piano's notes coming from the back. His hands were still cold, despite having crammed them into the deep pockets of his heavy leather coat. He sat at the same table he had before and ordered a whiskey sour.

Soon Ward was lost in a daze, staring at the shadowed carpet, letting the sounds sail by him and the drinks burn his throat. His eyes only raised when the music lost it's voice and the singer sat across from him again.

"Hey stranger!" she purred.

Ward leaned back in his seat, folding his hands in front of him. "Is there something you need exactly?" His tone wasn't as friendly as he would have liked it, but he didn't feel like having friends at the moment anyway.

The entertainer cracked an eyebrow at him. "Oh, this isn't the first drink then, is it?" She smiled a knowing smile, though he didn't give a rat's ass what she knew. "You remind me a little less of my big sis today. She was never so snippy."

"If someone were snippy, I'd leave them alone," he all but growled lowly, fixing his gaze back at the table.

The singer smirked with her painted lips, disregarding his words. "You know what? I saw my sister a couple days ago and she said she had met a guy she kind of likes before I could tell her I had a handsome, rich one all lined up for her aside from him not coming back to hear me sing. So I guess we both missed the boat on that trip. But, the seasons change! I guess she social faux pas'ed when she saw him all gussied up and she doesn't expect him back."

Ward gripped his bangs and pushed them back roughly. "I'm still not sure where you're going with this. And I still don't care. And I'm still not interested." He sank lower in his seat, trying not to feel like a child pouting, he was too old for that. "I'm sure your sister can fend for herself anyway."

This time the curve to the woman's lips was genuine. "Yeah, she has always been great at taking care of business. Well maybe not business business, but you get what I'm saying." She glanced at the clock across the room before turning her eyes to the entrance. Her smile changed once more and Ward pictured her as a fox about to pounce. "Speak of the devil." The singer stood up and reached for Ward's wrist as he began to turn to look at the doorway. But he flinched away as he felt the foreign touch and sat back before he could see the newcomer, trying to smooth his movements and ignore the flash in the singer's eyes. Her eyes that softened. She smiled again, this time gently, "Come on, come meet my big, little sister. I swear she's the sweetest person in the world. She came to hear me sing tonight!"

Ward cast a glare at her and reached for his drink, before turning his gaze away.

A short huff followed him. "Fine, sit there then. Be miserable." She shrugs her shoulders and walks away, leaving him trailing his fingers along the lip of the glass.

As he stares into the amber lights of his whiskey, he hears giggling followed by a short, stifled gasp. Instinctively he turns his head and his hand freezes.

"Eva?" The name still feels like he's testing it for the first time as he stares at her a couple tables away, dressed in a billowing cocktail dress, draping to her knees and modest despite the sheer lightness of the fabric.

And she stares back.

The singer looks between them from the chair she's claimed. "Wait, you two know each other already?"

"Ah," is all Eva manages to start with. She clears her throat, "Actually, he has come through the shop a couple times- but not recently."

Ward looks away and rubs his face. _Idiot. Her sister sings jazz._

"Ohhh! So that's where you went when you stopped coming here!" The singer's satisfied grin could only possibly be rivaled by Kay's while Eva's face paled, even as her sister took her by the hand and pulled her towards his table.

"Wait, you don't mean..." The two women looked at each other momentarily before Ward abruptly stood up, actively not thinking of how close the singer put Eva to his booth.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but I should probably be heading out. It was nice seeing you again. Eva." He had to tip his head down to address her, she was so near. And then she wasn't, as she backed up a step, her cheeks flushing in the dim lighting.

"Oh, of course," was all she managed, looking back at him.

The singer softly elbowed Eva. "No way, I have a new song I'm singing tonight! It would be incredibly rude to leave now."

"Sofia!" Eva looked at her sister with distressed eyes. She turned her gaze to Ward before sliding it away to the doors as though she wished she could just melt through them.

Ward breathed deep before forcing himself not to sigh. He shifted his feet instead and stiltedly agreed "I, I suppose I can stay for a few more minutes."

Eva's eyes turned to him and widened.

A slow smile graced Sofia's face. "Great, let's all sit together. The next set doesn't start for a bit."

The three looked at the small booth. When Ward turned to look back at the sisters, a stare off was being held. All he could translate from their silent argument was which would take the middle seat.

Ward picked his glass up and cleared his throat before walking to a more neutral table and pulling two chairs out for the women. Sofia sauntered over and delicately claimed one. Eva slipped in more hesitantly before Ward took one of the remaining seats. _How do I get into these situations? Just grin and bear it. It won't be forever._

Sofia brashly gazed at Ward. "So, I'm the beautiful Sofia, you obviously know my wonderful sister Eva, now what's you're name?"

Ward glanced at Eva just in time to see her soft smile before hiding it behind her hands, resting her elbows on the table. He glared when he looked back at Sofia. "Ward." His tone is only just polite.

Eva straightens in her chair and glances back to Sofia who frowns.

"Oh no, we have to try that again." Sofia decreed.

Eva balked.

"See you have to keep with the trend. I had descriptors before our names, which tells a lot about us. You have to provide a descriptor as well."

"How does beautiful tell me anything about you?" Ward asked before he could stop himself.

The sisters frowned in unison.

"Did you- Did you just call my sister ugly?" Eva asked.

"No!" It was the most offended Ward had ever heard her. "No, I'm just saying it doesn't tell me anything about her as a person." He quickly answered. When they continued frowning he looked away and continued himself. "It doesn't tell a lot about her, just that she looks good whereas what she attributed to you tells a person that you are loyal and caring and obviously willing to defend her." He attempts to de-escalate the situation by adding what he hoped was a smile and not a grimace. _Those seem to be sisterly attributes Joy is currently not demonstrating_. Ward stopped trying to smile, certain it was a grimace after the thought, and turned his head away instead.

A slow smile returned to Sofia's lips. "That's the nicest thing I've heard you say."

Ward and Eva glared at Sofia in unison.

"You know, a couple of the songs coming up would be great to dance to." Sofia smiled at Ward. "You two should give it a try." She conspiratorially leans towards War, "Eva loves dancing. And now, I am parched, so I have to go get some water before it starts." And she flitted out of her chair and away from the table, leaving the two alone.

Ward suddenly felt much more sober sitting up straight in the chair than he was slouching in the booth. _I probably feel much more sober than I am too._

"So," Eva began, looking at the table as though it would give her inspiration, "'Ward', is it?" She smiled quietly at him from across the table. "Nice to finally meet you, I guess."

"You guess?" He cocks his head to the side.

Eva's smile slips a little before she forces herself to keep going. "No fancy suit tonight?"

He feels his smile as he takes a sip from his drink. "No," he drawls, "I took the day off."

 _It won't be forever. Just a few songs. I can be happy for just a few songs._

He leans forward, keeping his face neutral and resting his elbow on the table. "Tragically, I'm not a good-looking me today."

Eva winced and rubbed her forehead, hiding her eyes from him.

He knows he's staring at her, but it really wasn't his first drink of the day and he wants to see her anyhow. He sinks into the feeling of his eyes softening and a smile blooming at the edges of his mouth.

The music subtly changes keys and Sofia drifts on to the stage. There is clapping from the scattered patrons and Eva sits straighter, joining into the applause and smiling at the stage. She thanks a passing waiter as he delivers a brightly colored drink in front of her.

Ward straightens back up, tearing his eyes from Eva and clapping politely. He leans back into the chair to listen to Sofia sing.

He and Eva sit through three songs, watching Sofia on stage and only rarely turning and smiling politely, if not awkwardly, at each other. But at the end of the third song, Eva leans back and hms. Ward turns to look at her.

"I think I like that song better than some of her other ones." Eva's eyes are a bit brighter for the drink she had consumed. "The lyrics are better at least." She scrunches her nose just slightly. "But why does it have to be jazz?"

Ward's polite smile gains sincerity and his eyebrow raises in curiosity. "You don't like jazz?"

Eva leans back and stretches her arms up and behind her head, "I guess I don't dislike it. I just like other styles better."

Ward forced his eyes not to trace her graceful silhouette in her stretch.

A waiter replaced her and Ward's drinks.

"And where are these coming from?" Ward murmured as he ran a finger along the glass.

"Ah, that's Sofia. One of her job perks is that she gets to pick a table to give free drinks to once a week." She grimaced but picked up her tall, angular glass anyway. "It's always mine, so you lucked out."

Ward tapped his finger lightly on his glass and smiled over at Eva, "I did, didn't I?" He asked even more quietly.

Eva didn't hear him. "I'm sorry." She rips her eyes from the table and looks at Ward with anxiety.

Ward sit up quickly, "What? Why?" He didn't think she heard him. He wasn't so drunk that he couldn't control his volume. _I'm not, am I?_

Eva returned her eyes to the table, fidgeted in her seat and straightened her dress. "I mean, you're not stupid and they aren't very subtle."

Ward minutely relaxed, "Wait, what?" He asked more calmly.

"Sofia and Kay! I can't decide which is worse. The way they keep setting us up. And I'm just sorry. You seem to be the type that would rather be left alone and Sofia just kind blackmailed you into stay in almost the same way that Kay manipulates you into doing her homework for her."

Ward forced a small smile, "I don't _do_ her homework for her. She's learning."

Eva finally looked back up at him, rolling her eyes at his chosen tangent. "Regardless, they are practically shameless. And I'm sorry for their hassling you." Her cheeks were still rosier than normal but he didn't know if it was from embarrassment or alcohol.

"But they aren't hassling you?" Ward asks, leaning forward on the table again.

Her cheeks get redder.

 _Ah, that's from embarrassment._

"I think I'm used to them now is all." It's the only defense she offers.

Ward relaxes further. staring at her again. "It's alright, I've been set up with much worse. It's what little sisters seem to do." He smiles when she looks up. "Besides, this is actually nice," he adds quietly

Eva takes a few more sips of her drink before continuing, "I didn't know you had a sister. I'm learning so much about you tonight. Ward." She grins at him but it falters when his smile falls and he tenses back up and takes another drink of his whiskey.

She shifts in her seat again. "Sorry."

Ward shifts in his own seat restlessly. "No, I'm sorry." He slides his glass between his hands before quietly adding, "Family is just not a very good subject for me. I'm sorry."

Eva tentatively reaches her hand out and loosely holds some of his fingers while the glass is in his other hand. He looks up at her, surprised by the touch and sees her soft, easy smile and the return of her now familiar tired eyes.

He doesn't risk moving, just for a moment. "You do look stunning, by the way," is the most he can do.

Her eyes widen. "Thank you," and she pulls her hand away, taking a drink and clearing her throat. "You know, if you want a new family, I bet Kay would die of happiness if you adopted her. She pretty much adores you." She takes another sip of her drink, smiling eyes watching him, waiting for a reaction.

"That kid is going places," Ward states with a smile.

"Oh she's going to take over the world. Us peasants will have to stay on her good side." Eva added with certainty.

Ward chokes on his whiskey. "Peasants? Ouch, I thought I was maybe at least a noble by now!"

Eva smiles before stretching her arms back once more and tipping her head from side to side, eyes closed as she breathes deep in the stretch.

He watches her this time, eyes trailing her chin, her jaw, and her neck, the collar bones gracefully leading toward her shoulders. He turns his head quickly, not wanting her to catch him staring. Unfortunately, he looks right at Sofia, up on the stage with a smile on her lips as she winks at him mid-song. He rolls his eyes and sits straighter. "Too much manual labor these days, peasant?" he asks as he turns back to Eva.

Eva giggles. It's a quick action that doesn't last as long as Kay's, but it's happy and Ward can feel his head swimming for it. Her eyes are bright again, the tiredness gone as she looks back at him. "Maybe," she smirks, but her smile drops and her eyes widen as she continues, "Or maybe I'm old! Uhg." She props her head in her hands as Ward snorts a short bark of a laugh.

 _Oh good, I'm not drunk alone._ He sends a mental glare to Sofia up on stage as Eva sits back up in front of him, light in her eyes.

"I just kneaded a lot of dough this week." Eva paused and moment, staring at her hands and listening to her sister's lyrics before visibly brightening up. "You know, we should dance." Eva declared. "Not to this song, but the next! Sofia always pairs the two together because she likes the flow. Let's dance to the next song. I always thought it would be nice to dance to!"

Ward couldn't stop the pitiful smile if he tried. But he shook his head, "I haven't danced in ages and I'd hate to do that to you." He regretted it the second the words left his mouth. The way they made her smile dim and her eyes darken just so slightly, the lights seemed so bright around the two of them that he wanted her to stay in that light. _That didn't make sense. Hell, if she wants a dance, she can have a dance. But I will not enjoy it and I will leave after._ He tried hard not to think of Joy calling him the Cinderella of every fundraiser. "Alright, fine. Don't look at me like that, Jesus."

Eva flashed him a brilliant smile before leaning back into her chair, hands on her lap, eyes closed, listening to her little sister sing.

In that moment, Ward saw her as the picture of contentment. "Kay probably gets her skill at manipulation from you," he quietly states propping himself on one arm against the table.

Eva hms, smiling before quietly stating "The kid's going places."

Ward laughs and leans back in his chair. Smiling.

The song began to fade to a close and Eva opened her eyes dazily. She looked at Ward as though he may have changed his mind about the dance, "Ward?"

His stomach flopped as he listened to the way she tested his name as it passed from her lips. Ward stood from his chair, removed his coat, and held his hand out to her, back rigid. _I am not nervous._ He was nervous. Eva took his hand after a brief moment of looking at it hesitation. Her hands were much smaller than his and he marveled at how slight they were. When they reached the small dance floor to the side in front of the stage he released her hand and turned to face her in time to see her sticking her tongue out at her sister. Eva blushed when she realized he'd seen.

Ward smirked, "If you'd rather not dance-"

"No! I want to! She just sit so high on that stage, someone needs to knock her off it is all." She hastily tacks on, "and I mean that with love."

Ward's smirk broadens. "The wonderful sister Eva strikes again."

Eva rolls her eyes as the music slowly ends, "She makes me sound like a nun." She watches her sister begin the next song on stage.

Ward laughs. It's a low and quiet laugh as he reaches a hand to her waist, but the laugh dies immediately when she jerks away from the touch and steps back. Her hands are tense fists with her arms straight by her sides. Her shoulders are rigid and her wide eyes are fixed on the floor. Ward doesn't move as he takes in her pale face but sends a look towards Sofia, who isn't smiling on stage for the first time as she does her stationary two step dance at the microphone stand. He ignores the few people nearby who glance over.

"We don't have to if you don't want to." He says quietly enough for no one else to hear.

She looks up at him in shock, her eyes wide and wet before shaking her head and smiling. "I'm- I'm sorry. I do want to. Sorry."

Ward stays still as he watches her hesitantly reach for him. _I should have realized._ He waits until she's close on her own, with her hands in place before he gently returns his right hand to her waist. _I should have realized how afraid she is._ He swallows a lump in his throat as he gazes down at her. _I know, me too._ "It's okay, you don't have to apologize." His voice is softer than it has been in years and Eva leans her head forward on his chest as the music floods around them. They dance much too slow at first, but as Eva calms, she gets more enthusiastic and by the end of the song they are both themselves once more.

Eva laughs as he releases her waist but neither lets go of eachother's hand and she doesn't back away from him, choosing instead to stay tucked close.

Ward smiles down at her, it feels more like what he thinks a smile should feel like but it dampens as he begins his next statement. "I should probably get going."

"Oh," Eva stares back up at him before grinning, "but we're having so much fun!"

He dislodged her from his chest. "I know. But I will be working tomorrow. And you need to at least be conscious enough to get home." Even as he said it, her lids drooped and she leaned her head back on his arm. _Dear god, she's a lightweight._ Keeping the concern in his voice down, he asked "How drunk are you right now?"

"Two wine glasses, two mojitos, and a tired," she answered happily into his shirt.

"A tired?" He ignored her warm breath against him.

"Yes. But we could keep dancing."

Ward puffed out a sigh and tipped his head back. "How do you normally get home when you come here?"

Tucking herself even closer, against his chest now, he could barely hear her reply. "It's only a few blocks, so I walk. You are so warm. Warm Ward. You can be warm Ward. I'll tell beautiful Sofia for you."

"How kind of you." Ward looked to the stage where Sofia had the audacity to wink again. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head at her. She wouldn't be done working for another 2 or 3 hours.

"Yes," Eva drawled looking up at him with a serious face. "Well us nuns are very kind creatures."

 _I give up._ Ward smiled as he nodded. "I will walk you home now. And then you need to drink a lot of water. And then you need to go to bed." _And I will go home and shower, I think._ He dislodged her from his chest again and held her shoulders a distance from him, ignoring the feel of her bare skin under his fingers. _I am the most sober. So I have to take care of her first._ He grabbed his coat from their table and shrugged it on. _Then I will go home. And shower._ She took his arm in her hands and sidled up to his side once again. _A cold shower?_

He walked them to the door and out on to the sidewalk.

"It's that way!" Eva pointed happily.

"I know." Ward mumbled trying to ignore her nearness.

They walked four of the seven blocks before he felt like an idiot, or more specifically before he felt her icy hand snake its way into his jacket.

"Wait, didn't you have a coat?"

Eva nodded against his arm. "It's back at the lounge."

Ward winced. _Shit, am I that drunk?_ Shrugging his heavy coat off, he draped it over her shoulders. _I do not care that she looks perfect with my coat._ Eva slipped her arms through the sleeves but they still hung off beyond her hands. She wobbled a bit looking as the extra length on her arms before reaching for his arm again and hugging it to her like before. "I'll keep this one warm," she told him before tucking her cheek against his shoulder and awkwardly pulling him to start walking.

"Why didn't you say something when we left?"

She softly mumbled "I didn't want to make you mad."

Ward blinked at the top of her head, his brow furrowing as they did not stumble gracefully down the sidewalk. "Why would I get mad?"

Eva remained silent.

They rounded the last corner and entered the coffee shop where Kay sat at a table, clicking through Pinterest on her laptop- until she saw them.

"Eva! And Mr. News?" Her face was lit up like Christmas. "What's going on?"

Eva perked up immediately, "His name is warm Ward!"

Kay looked at Ward, "Warm-?"

"Just Ward." He clarified, shaking his head before he rubbed his eyes.

Key stared at him "Uh-huh."

It stayed silent as Ward and Kay watched Eva grab a folded quilt from a basket and collapse on to one of the sofas.

Kay turned back to stare at Ward. "Warm Ward."

He glared at her as a smirk turned her lips up.

"No, I like it. Very guardian like. Protective. You know. You should have some coffee. It'll 'warm' you up... Do you need me to call a taxi, my friend? You look a little less than sober as well."

He rubbed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. "No," it was a drawn out word as he stared at the ceiling. "No taxi, I'll just... I'll just call my driver. It's still early enough."

She paused in getting a to-go cup for him. "You're driver?"

A sharp clatter sounded and they both turned to the couch Eva had barricaded herself into with blankets. All that showed of her were her feet as she kicked at the second shoe until it too fell. With both feet free, they returned beneath the quilt and she was once more gone from all view.

Ward turned to Kay who was still staring at her employer with a frown on her face. "You should make her drink a lot of water. And then get her to bed." He sighed, "I am going home." With that, he stepped out the door, leaving her with the coffee. Ward walked as he dug his phone from his back pocket. With shivering fingers he texted Glen the cross street he would be at shortly. The reply told him Glen would be there in 10-20 minutes. It was then Ward realized he didn't take his coat back. _Shit. Warm Ward. Right, I'm going to freeze to death._ He sat on a bench and waited.


	4. Awkward Dance?

The next morning arrived, and he called in, not citing his heavy hangover for the new long weekend he suddenly had before him.

And then the weekend passed by and Ward did not return to the coffee shop, nor did he return to the lounge. Instead, he stayed home. Home, where he proceeded to drink the nights away in a solitary sort of misery when it occurred to him that he had never looked for the cameras his father had had installed. He tore his condo apart.

Until he got a text from Danny on Saturday.

"Hey, u no anything about a company called Multisen in South Africa? The Hand may have strings attached, but we are running into dead ends here."

Ward, of course, looked into what they had on Multisen International, but there wasn't much that indicated anything less than lawful for the area and Rand had very few dealings with them. He had called Danny to tell him as much. Three times. The third round, he just left an irate voice mail.

Later that day, he received a "k thanks" text and that was it. Ward resolved to drink extra hard that night as he was returned to his solitary sort of misery.

Monday morning trudged into existence the same way Ward trudged in the door at Rand. He didn't have his badge, that was in his wallet. Which he had left in his coat. Elsewhere. He had already canceled the cards in it and cut his losses on the cash with plans for getting a new license that afternoon.

He was not going back to the coffee shop.

So he called his assistant. Megan held the elevator door once it chimed it's arrival and she gave Ward a hesitant smile in greeting. "Good morning, Mr. Meachum."

"Good morning, Megan." He stepped into the small space and fixed his eyes on the floor. "I didn't get a chance to look at the schedule since Friday, has anything changed?"

"No, sir. Well, at least not until 3 today. Mr. Thompson came down with food poisoning I guess, so he had to reschedule. But, there are two new candidates for the- the new open positions. You said you wanted to review their cases prior to interviewing, so I figured 3 could be a good time for that."

Ward turned to look at Megan, raising an eye brow. "We already have applicants? Those two just resigned Thursday."

Megan squared her shoulds despite the discomfort on the topic. Everyone in the company knew that Ward was systematically destroying the ranks in each department before rebuilding them. Megan, however, knew a bit more in that he had hired a private investigator to perform background checks on the hire-ups. Anyone whom he and the investigator deemed unworthy was 'encouraged' to resign, if not flat out fired. There were two occasions so far where individuals had been even arrested. She assumed he had already had the P.I. clear her, or else she'd be gone and someone else would be reporting to him on the subject. "I believe with the recent turnover Rand has been showing, applicants are becoming more pre-emptive in their reaching out."

Ward nodded and returned his gaze to the floor.

Megan felt she had responded adequately on the topic but now had questions of her own. "Sir, do you need me to get you a new badge for the building?"

Ward nodded again, still not looking up from the floor. "Yes, thank you, Megan." It seemed he was distracted, but not in a hostile mood.

Megan pressed onward. "What happened to your old one?" Did she just see him wince?

"I lost my jacket over the weekend and it had my wallet, that's all."

Megan nodded, still stealing side glances at him. He had tempered himself down over the last few months, but with the last few weeks, it seemed his spirits had been on the rise. However, Megan decided he was showing a poor forecast of spirits this morning. "Mr. Meachum?"

Ward looked up and over at her as they stood facing the elevator door. _This is a long, long elevator trip._

"Did something else happen over the weekend?" She pulled her portfolio up in front of her as she tentatively asked.

Ward raised an eyebrow again and turned towards her more. Megan had always been perfectly professional and such a question from her seemed out of sorts.

She continued on, "It's just that these last few weeks, sir, you appeared to, I don't know, just be a bit happier maybe, a little more present."

Ward straightened his back as they held eye contact.

She babbled on, fully aware, but determined to make her point. "Today you look tired and distracted and, and I don't know. You aren't smiling at all. Which, it's not like you go around grinning, but you at least smile when appropriate." She finally paused and winced at they way she had presented her question. She was always professional, just maybe not tactful.

Ward waited a moment, to make sure she was done. _Why is everything so goddamn hard?_ Ward forced the corners of his lips up. "It's just Monday." He calmly replied, before adding, "It'll also be better once we finish with this turnover business. Cutting the wheat from the chaff is never a pleasant process." He turned his eyes forward and down once more, signaling the end of the discussion despite Megan's clear dissatisfaction with his answer.

The elevator dings open and Ward motions for Megan to step out first as he follows. He doesn't look at his sister's office as he passes Megan's desk. Nor does he look at the portrait, still leaning against the wall in his own. He does look at his watch though. _Half an hour before the first of the meetings. It will be a long day._

Despite his tone in the elevator, Ward was actually enjoying repopulating his workforce with new faces. Many of the old ones were his father's men. The ones that didn't pass his and Ms. Jones' inspection were swiftly replaced with individuals of clearer character. He also enjoyed selecting previous employees who kept their noses clean for promotions into the newly vacated spots. It was a lot of work and not something many CEO's would take part in, but after dealing with his father for the last time, Ward was determined to be rid of the intimately familiar corruption and bring a new era of business ethics to the company.

11 am rolled around and Ward felt a distinct ache in his stomach, trying not to think about the breakfast he skipped. _Or the dinner._ Telling Megan to meet him in the lobby at noon so that he could get back to his office, he descended in the elevator as she said she'd be off for lunch too after she finished up her task. He walked quickly to the doors, looking at the floor and then the ground as he stepped outside. He was making his way to a small restaurant down the block but slowed as he heard a voice. _What the hell is Kay doing here?_ He looked up and confirmed, that there she stood, paces away in front of Eva, who was holding his coat and fiddling with it's collar while looking at the ground, looking for all the world like a chastised child.

"We are **going** in there and we are going to return it. More importantly, you are going in there with me. We did not come all the way here for you to chicken out now."

Eva scuffed a foot, "Maybe he'll come by tonight for it though. Besides, he's probably busy right now- that's a really big building."

Kay glared at her employer the whole time before throwing her hands up in exasperation, "No! This is your chance to see him again!- and I **know** you dig him so don't even with me! It's the perfect excuse and everything. And I'll be right beside you all the way. And you **know** I'm a great wing-woman." Kay folded her arms and seemed to tower Eva despite being such a tiny girl.

"Well maybe he isn't even in today. Maybe he took today off." Eva seemed to be grasping at straws as she shot nervous looks at the Rand building. "How would we even find a person in that thing? You know, he's probably out, probably at lunch by now, and you need to be getting to class, you will be late and I will not accept-"

"I already told you I'm cutting today." Kay's tone left no room for argument on the matter.

Eva finally drew herself up again, "Kay, I expect better of you and if you want to be partners at the coffee shop when you graduate, you have to excel in your studies. That was the agreement. And you are not going to get there, by skipping. You can't do this anymore."

 _Kay is skipping classes? Wait, she's going to partner with Eva?_ An odd assortment of feelings fluttered through Ward and he tried his best to ignore both the pride, dismay, and resentment for Kay as he shamelessly stepped behind a news stand with quick, long strides and pretended to browse the different papers. _If Rand ever goes under, I can be a spy._

"Don't try turning this around on me! It's not like this is a habit of mine, I stopped my truancy years ago and you know it."

A silence followed and Ward angled himself so that he could see the two of them trying to stare each other down.

"Fine," Kay said, "we won't hunt him down."

Eva's shoulders relaxed.

"However!"

Eva's shoulders tensed once more.

"We are going in there and you are going to leave a note with his jacket." Kay glared hard at Eva. "In this note, you will express that you had a good time that other night and you will leave your number with a suggestion that you two should go out again." She smiled with an afterthought, "You should also mention that he should totally mentor me since he's obviously so successful in business."

Ward smirked at her demands. _The kid's going places._

He watched as Eva attempted a face palm with his jacket.

 _Do I step in or just keep walking?_ He didn't step away from the stand in either direction. _We do just keep running into each other._

Eva continued fidgeting as she lowered the coat. "You know, I think I'll just keep it."

Ward's smile stretched further and Kay squared her shoulders.

Eva quickly continued before Kay could get a word in, "What? It's a good coat, and if he wanted it, he'd have come back for it. We can put his wallet in the safe for if he does come by- oh! Or we could mail it, people's licenses usually have their addresses! He wouldn't even have to see us! And I'll keep the coat, it would be too heavy to send via mail anyway."

Kay leveled a look at her.

"It's a good coat." Eva mumbles with a shrug.

Kay rolls her head back, "It. Dwarfs. You."

Eva allowed herself a sly smile, "All the best comfy clothes do!"

Kay matches her smile viciously, "I bet you'd like wearing his shirts in the mornings even better."

 _Don't imagine that. Stop it. I need more colorful shirts._

A flush spreads on Eva's pale, wide-eyed face, "Kay!"

"Great!" Kay grabs Eva's hand and pulls her towards the office building.

Ward hands the stall keeper cash as he steps away with a paper. He watches the two women ascend the stairs to the front of the building before he turns and continues on his way to lunch, a smile tugging at his lips.

Eva and Kay step through the doors of Rand Enterprises only to pause and take in the scenery. They both feel slightly under-dressed for the business center. Kay, still holding Eva's hand tugs her towards the desk in the lobby.

"Hi, excuse me," she interrupts the secretary filling out forms. "My friend and I are just returning an item that was left in our coffee shop. We think the gentleman works here." Even Kay shuffles her feet at the judgmental look the woman gives them.

They all hear a ding and the glass doors in front of the elevator opens, to reveal a young woman with amber skin and toasted marshmallow hair.

The secretary leans back, "And whom do you think it belongs to?"

The woman with amber skin makes her way through the glass doors, coming to a slow stop as she digs through her purse.

Eva speaks, "A Mr. Ward Meachum?" She's still holding the coat in front of her like a shield when the young woman from the elevator jerks her head up.

"Mr. Meachum?" The new comer asks.

Kay, Eva, and the secretary all turn to look at the new arrival.

Eva responds first, "Yes, Ward left his coat at my coffee shop at the end of last week, and we thought we would come by to return it to him." She adds her customer service smile at the end for good measure.

The woman's smile is slow but not insincere as she notes the first name basis. "I'm Megan, his assistant." She stepped forward, holding her hand out as Kay sent a side long glance at Eva, discreetly mouthing 'his assistant!' to Eva.

Eva shakes Megan's hand, her smile losing a bit of it's bravery. "Hi, Megan. My name's Eva, this is Kay."

Kay steps up and shakes Megan's hand as well, "It's a pleasure to meet you! It must be great working at such a successful company! There must be so much to learn here."

Eva glanced at Kay after her ramble, pleasantly surprised that even she gets nervous.

Megan's smile broadens, noting enthusiasm instead. "It's definitely an experience! What's your background? We are currently taking applications for a number of openings. Maybe we could give each other a chance?"

Eva blanched at the prospect of losing Kay. Kay grinned before seeing the look on Eva's face. "I'd love to, but I'm only halfway through my freshman year in college, so I don't think I'll ponder it too hard yet. I am accepting mentors though." She sends Eva a slight smile, happy to see it returned.

Megan laughs, "I guess that works too. So you're looking for Mr. Meachum?" Megan bites her bottom lip as she sees Eva's blush. Her smile softening, she nods, mostly to herself, "He'll be back at 12 sharp, waiting right here in the lobby since he said his security badge was in his coat. I could take it now for you," she draws the words out, "Or, you could be here when he gets back from lunch. You just missed him actually." She takes in Kay's grin and pointed look to a blushing Eva. She wonders if it would be too much to assume there's something going on between this woman and her boss that is so affecting his moods these days.

With Kay and Eva speaking at the same time, Megan heard a "We'll leave it with you!" and a "See you then!" before Kay grabbed back on to Eva's wrist and dragged her out from the building, the coat never changing hands.

Megan watched them leave before turning and smiling at the secretary who scowled after the women as the doors closed.

As Ward walked back to the Rand tower, he shifted his eyes about him, ensuring that the two beautiful ghosts that seem to keep haunting him were no where in sight. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he lightly stepped up the stairs and made his way into the building adjusting his cuffs as he approached the lobby's desk area, he finally looked up expecting to find Megan waiting for him. Which she was. But she was sitting with Kay and Eva, with Kay animatedly filling them in on the audacity of a fellow student during her Bio 101 lab.

"Eva!" The three women look up and Eva shoots out of her seat, but stays close to Kay and Megan. Ward forces his shoulders to relax and his eyes to sit more neutral before he continues. "Kay, Eva, what are you two doing here?" _That was stupid, she's right there, with the coat, that you heard her saying she might return- but she doesn't know I heard that..._ His eyes stay steady on Eva's, even as he steps closer and cocks his head to the side.

"Ah, well, we brought you your coat and wallet." Eva offered his coat with her arms stretched out in front of her as she looked anywhere but at him.

Ward felt the smile spread across his lips and he stepped closer to take the article. "You really didn't have to come all this way. And at noon too." He winced. "You must be exhausted." They stayed facing each other, him smiling at her while she avoided any and all eye contact.

Kay cleared her throat and Eva and Ward turn to her and Megan, standing next to each other. They both wore smirks though Megan's was slightly more discreet and hopeful while Kay's was blatantly determined.

Eva was certain her face would be red forever, but when she sent a quick glance to Ward, she saw that even he had a slight blush to his face at the looks they were giving them.

"So Megan tells us that you're the king of this castle." Kay begins.

Megan turns to her, "I didn't say king."

Eva lets out a nervous giggle and shifts closer to Kay as Ward starts a slow shake of his head.

Before he can respond, Kay continues, "I can't believe you ditched out on helping me with my microeconomics that other Friday when you're basically the god of business."

Megan turns and coughs to hide her laugh.

"You know how I struggle! I can barely understand the teacher! He talks so fast! And his accent is **so** heavy! And he hates repeating himself! Help me out, Ward."

Eva, who had been grinning at her employee up until now cut in, "I told you not to make people do your homework!" She turns back to Ward and offers a shy smile, "She didn't mean any of that."

"I really do need a mentor next semester though," Kay shrugged, " **and** it would really boost my career options having you as a reference in the future." Kay clasped her hands behind her back as she innocently looked up at Ward with a bright smile, who looked to Megan, for assistance, but the assistant pretended to be texting and **not** paying attention to every word. Finally he turned to Eva, who was hiding a smile behind her hand and pointedly looking out the windows before looking over and shaking her head with a shrug.

"I," was all he managed for a moment. He took a breath and sighed. "You really are going to take over the world, aren't you."

Kay frowned. "What gives you that idea?"

Eva's chuckling from the side drew their attention. "I told you not to enslave customers either."

Kay frowned further, "Come on, it's Ward."

He blinks when she says it. _Do they no longer think of me as just a customer?_ "Maybe?" The women stop and look at him and he clears his throat. "Maybe I'll help you out sometimes, if you're there when I stop by."

All three women frowned at his noncommittal response and he shrinks back a half step under their gazes.

Megan chooses now to step in, giving Ward hope for an easy escape. Looking down at the ground while gathering her resolve, she begins, "I think it would be a good idea to act as a mentor, Mr. Meachum."

Ward balks.

Megan goes in for the kill, steeling herself for the words she's planning, "It would be great PR for the CEO of such an established company to reach out to the newest generation of business people. And since Ms. Meachum left-"

Ward's face pales at the mention on his sister, his eyes and shoulders tensing.

"-we haven't had as much of a spot in the news since she typically took on most of the public appearances. Stocks have decreased since then. You taking on an intern or two or showing interest in local small businesses even could be beneficial now and even in the long run if Kay chose to remain in the company further down the road. Wouldn't Joy-"

"We don't know what Joy would do, because Joy isn't here!" He hissed through clenched teeth. "She's gone. That's the end of it."

Megan forces her breathing to remain steady with his eye on her. She wondered just how wrong she was just now and what exactly it was that caused Joy to leave so suddenly.

Kay and Eva share a questioning look before Kay steps in, "I mean, you don't have to if you really don't want to."

Ward's eyes slide to small girl standing between the women, his jaw still tense and his eyes still daggers. Kay frowns back at him, eyes narrowing slightly as she took in his expression.

"It helped is all, but forget we said anything." Kay took Eva's arm and let Eva lead the way to the side around Ward. "Sorry to bother you, Mr. Meachum. Bye, Megan." And then the two women were at the door.

Ward raised his hand before dropping it back to his side, his eyes desperate now, he tried to make his mouth work. _Wait, no, don't leave._ The two were already gone and he furrowed his brow in aggravation before turning to face Megan, his heavy leather coat hanging by his side. She doesn't say anything and looks down. Ward turns and walks to the elevator, digging his wallet out of his coat pocket as he goes. He rides the elevator up alone this time, fiddling with a slip of paper with a phone number on it that he never put in his wallet.

Ward is resting his chin on his hand when Megan knocks on his office door and walks in. He doesn't look up from his reports. They hadn't mentioned the coat incident from three days ago, and that works fine for him. He can tell Megan is walking on egg shells around him and he doesn't make a move to encourage nor dissuade it.

She quietly stands at the side of his desk for a moment before reaching forward and setting a number of envelopes on the edge. An invitation to a holiday fundraiser strategically placed on top.

 _She's right._ Ward hasn't been going to any of the parties Joy had used to drag him to. _But I have no Joy or father to make me go and no one to take. I should just admit as much._ He barely muttered "Those are shark waters for single people."

Megan wrings her hands and Ward isn't sure she knows she does it. "You could always invite..." The silence is deafening, he leans back in his chair and looks her in the eye. Her attempt to come up with a name falters at her lips and he lets her drown in the painful awkwardness of the situation for a few seconds.

"I always hated those parties." Ward states as he picks up the invitation advertising a pumpkin patch full of lights and dancing and drinks. "Maybe we should hire someone specifically as the face of Rand, they can deal with the public relations." _I should change the name of this place. I'm the only one left here after all- and who names a business after themselves anyway?_ He pushed his hair back and met her eyes once more. "Was there anything else?"

"No, sir." She fled the room.

Ward picked up the invitation once more and stared at it. His father would go. He would come up with a beautiful, brilliant date out of no where and he'd have been the life of the party, charming everyone with his crocodile smile. _Joy would tell me to go._ He set the single page down and spun it under his fingers. _Joy would tell me to go with or without a date and to possibly steal the other men's dates if I wanted before turning into Cinderella._ _She'd also say that I need to get out in the public eye and that Megan was right about everything._ He sighed in misery and opened the right side drawer to stare at the tiny piece of paper with Eva's number on it next to his pill bottle. He hadn't called her, he wasn't sure if she still wanted him to. His hand stilled on the paper for a moment as he eyed the bottle instead. After he popping a pill to his mouth and closing the drawer, Ward sent the RSVP for one himself.

Two weeks later, Ward is straightening the collar on his tux and regretting ever letting his inner Joy talk him into accepting the invitation. Sipping a glass of whiskey to steady his hands before he steps out his door, Ward summons Glen. Glen arrives shortly. And he's on his way.

He arrives to an urban garden, the area gilded in fairy lights with a carpet rolled out from the walk to the entrance of the giant, temporary tent, also lined with excessive lights. Walking along the soft carpet, he greets a number of other guests he knows before he spots a slight figure just inside the doorway. Sheer fabric dress, and short cropped hair, as though a fae creature had stepped right into the tent. He quickly steps in the doorway, "Eva?" The woman doesn't turn, so he steps to the side within the crowd and sees that it isn't her face. He shakes his head to clear it, stepping away quickly before the woman notices him. Ward makes his way to the bar and orders his whiskey sour, leaning against the counter as he turns and watches the crowd. Feeling very much like he was bleeding in the water.

The first sharks appeared soon, one stepping swiftly and delicately in front of two other women making their way in his direction. She was a pretty thing, wearing a burnt orange dress and gold jewelry set with red stones. Her outfit and her straight and styled red hair making her look like an ancient fire goddess. "Ward Meachum! I haven't seen you at one of these shindigs in ages!"

Ward stifled a sigh before smiling politely. "Mrs. Delor, you look beautiful this evening as always." _I'm not drunk enough. Yet._ He takes a small swig of his drink.

"Ever the charmer." She leans against the bar top, far too close to him.

He smiles down at her. "So what's life like for you these days?" he asks, turning away from her just enough to take another quick drink of his whiskey.

"Oh, not that interesting. My uncle has been telling me that I need to..." she droned on while Ward nodded along, smiling when she smiled and exclaiming "No!" when she sounded offended during her stories. She was known for chatting constantly. She was also known for shamelessly cheating on her husband, who was either oblivious or just didn't care. Ward was never sure which. She was a regular shark of his though, so he was comfortable enough in her waters, ignoring her hands resting on his arm or shoulder, or touching the fabric covering his chest. He simply drank the night away while she talked and cut off any other women that dared approach him. He was also better at appearing to pay attention to her when he wasn't, because suddenly she was pulling him around the corners out of the tent and pushing him up against a tree. _Fuck, I checked out too much._ She trailed her hands on his sides, up his chest, and rested them on his shoulders.

"This is much better," she whispered, leaning into him, "it's much quieter out here." She leaned her head on his shoulder and started kissing his neck as her hands trailed back down to his lapels. His head tipped back against the bark and his eyes drifted closed.

 _This might have been Ev-_ He shakes his head suddenly, attempting to clear it of the alcohol and the woman's perfume. _How much did I drink?_ "No, I don't think this is a good idea." He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away as she tried kissing his jaw. "You should go back inside, to your husband." He slid from between her and the tree and quickly stepped around the corner of the tent only to dive around another tree. As one of the most eligible and wealthy bachelors on the entire east coast, he knew his sharks well. Mrs. Delor rushed around the corner calling after him and hurried into the tent presumably to find him.

Ward walked in the opposite direction to the nearest diner, which is typically where the drivers all gather for their own form of party with cards and bets on which of the cities elite will be the first in any category of outrageous behavior for the night. He steps in to a greasy restaurant where he quickly spots a group of men in suits and caps, Glen among them. As Glen looked up to the door he grinned and three men close by grimaced, handing him small piles of bills.

"You keep coming through for me like that, Mr. Meachum, and I'll hire you as my driver." Glen hollers across the room. A number of customers glare at the loud group while Glen slides from his booth and hurries over glancing at Ward's neck. "We're leaving?"

"Yes. Leaving."

As they stepped outside, Ward looked at his watch, 11:37. _Shit, how long did I drink with that unholy witch?_ He shivered to himself and opened the door to the front passenger's seat when Glen opened the back door. Glen furrowed his brow, but shrugged and closed both doors after Ward got in the front seat. Sliding into the driver's seat, Glen watched as Ward lowered the mirror and reached into the glove compartment for the small pack of tissues Glen kept there. Ward began scrubbing at the lipstick left on his neck and muttering something to Glen about sharks being horrible creatures. Glen sat and watched Ward with perplexity. "So... home I take it?" and he started the engine.

"No." Ward quietly replied as he inspected his neck in the mirror while Glen stared at him in shock.

"To the office?" Glen guessed slowly.

"No, take me to the corner of 11th and Fen." _It's about time that I apologize._ "There's a coffee shop there." He sat back in the seat, satisfied that there were no marks left.

Glen asked no more questions as he drove, assuming that Ward would correct him or indulge him with further instructions if needed.

Pulling up to the cross street, Ward moved to get out of the car but stopped when he saw the windows dark and a flowered "Sorry, we're closed." sign hanging on the door. "Wait, why would they be closed?" Ward asked the universe.

Glen looked between Ward and the coffee shop, "Because it's midnight?"

 _Shut the fuck up, fairy godmother._ Ward's frown deepened. "It's a 24 hour place." They sat in silence for a moment. _Why is everything so damn hard?_ "Alright," he sighed as he closed the door. "Home then."

The shop was closed in the morning as well.

And the next day.


	5. Phone Calls

"Closed today."

Ward was sprawling on his couch at home, Google Mapping the coffee shop on his phone with a fuzzy mind and one arm floating through the air in nondescript waves. His little orange pill bottle sat on the side table along with a whiskey glass and a bottle of water. He swiped out of the screen before pulling up his contacts and staring at the little green phone by Eva's number. _Call her, what if something's wrong? It's a long time for that place to be closed._ He frowned at the phone before sliding that too on to the table and settling on the couch. _Bone tired._ Ward closed his eyes and felt the floating throughout his body while simultaneously feeling like he was sinking into the couch completely. _Sofia would know._ He sits up a little before sliding his legs down and leaning against the back rest. He looked at the clock. _8:43._ He grabbed his phone to make sure the lounge was open, he didn't want any repeats of being locked out.

Standing up slowly, he grabbed his suit jacket and business coat, too tired to change to anything more casual. He paused at the bathroom to look in the mirror at how presentable he was. _Red rimmed eyes, messy hair. Maybe I should wash my face quick._ Patting his face dry, he followed up with finger combing his hair back and nodded at his reflection, eyes indifferent and mouth curved down. His eyes were still red and bloodshot, his pupils dilated, but what could he do? Ward left home and walked slow and steady towards the lounge.

Stepping inside, he blew into his cupped hands for warmth and welcomed the dim lighting. _Sofia won't be able to tell I'd had anything if it's this dim._ But it wasn't Sofia's voice dancing in the air that night, a young man stood at the microphone on stage, singing and making ridiculous dancing motions. Ward frowned. _Sofia too? Come on!_

A waiter approached him with recognition, "Good evening, sir. Can I help you find a table?" The waiter smiled pleasantly.

"Ah, no, actually I was just looking for Sofia. She's not in tonight though?" Ward shoved his hands in his pockets while looking the young man in the eye.

"Oh no!" The waiter grinned. "Sofia took the week off. She and her sister went home for Thanksgiving. I mean, it wasn't a long drive or anything, but they don't get home often. So I guess they were just going to stay the whole week."

"Oh." Ward frowned at the waiter. _I forgot about Thanksgiving._ "I guess that tells me where Eva went too then." He nodded goodbye to the man, "Thanks."

 _But it's only Tuesday. They'll be gone that long?_

Ward walked back out into the cold air and dug his phone out. He hadn't heard anything more from Danny and he was refusing to think of his sister. He wasn't surprised at the lack of personal messages and the abundance of work emails. Walking home after that just to be alone didn't sound appealing though, especially after realizing the holidays snuck up on him. He stopped walking and scuffed his shoe on the sidewalk, watching other pedestrians wander by, bundled up and together. Ward frowned and opened his contacts list. _I guess it is the 21st century. I could just text her instead..._ He selected the message button.

" _Hey, "_ he stopped typing. _What am I even going to say?_

Ward deleted the draft and pocketed his phone, brushing his hair back as he started walking again. He got two blocks before he sat on a random bench and dug his phone out again, re-opening the empty conversation.

" _Hey, "_ He paused again. _Home for the holidays already? Enjoying seeing your family? What doesn't make me sound like a creepy stalker?_ " _Hey, it's Ward. Plans for the holidays?" I can at least figure out when they'll be back._ He leaned back against the bench, stretching his legs out and relaxing his arms. The drug was still in his system and his eyelids felt heavy.

His phone chimed and he immediately sat straight.

" _Hi, Ward. I wasn't sure you found my number. And yeah, I'm visiting my parents with my sister through Saturday. How about you?"_ It was accompanied by a smiley face. Ward shifted in his seat and looked around.

 _I'm sitting on a bench alone in the middle of the city with no one to celebrate with? With nothing to celebrate in general?_ He sighed and tapped the text box with his cold thumb. " _Not really any plans."_ He hesitated, trying to think of what to add that wouldn't make him sound pathetic this season. He settled for his apology- or at least, part of it. " _I'm sorry for how I reacted the other day. I didn't mean to sound angry. I wasn't, not with any of you."_ He hesitated again before tapping the send button and waiting.

He sat in silence a few minutes, turning his phone over in his hand before standing up and pocketing it. _She's probably busy and that's alright. I'll just go home and maybe get some sleep._ As he crossed the next street though, his phone rang. He stared at the caller ID a moment before answering it.

"Hello?" He fought to not sound as intoxicated as he was, trying to keep his voice light.

" _Hey,"_ a pause, " _is this a bad time?"_

Ward turned in a circle on the street corner, "No! Not at all!"

" _Great."_ Her voice was quiet and tentative on the other end of the line as though she wasn't sure she wanted to send it through the airwaves. " _So, you're okay then?"_

Ward blinked. "What?"

" _You're okay? I think you may have scared Kay, but I don't know, you looked- last time we saw you, I don't know-"_

"No, yeah, I'm fine." He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed a palm against his lids. "I'm sorry. I'll talk with her next time I see her. I'll apologize."

Silence greeted him for a few seconds and he waited with baited breath. " _Next time you see her, if she's there, if you stop by?"_

He couldn't hear a smile in her voice and she kept it low and even. He sighed, "Eva." Ward ignored relishing the way her name sounded in his voice. "I will apologize to her. Next time I see her. And I will be by the shop. If it's ever open again... I actually dropped by every day this weekend..." He waited for a response, scuffing at twigs on the sidewalk. "I even went to the lounge to ask Sofia where to find you two but she wasn't there either. I had hoped to talk in person."

More silence greeted him before he heard a soft sigh of air from the other side of the line. " _Alright... So... Do you want to talk about this Joy person?"_

Ward clenched his jaw and started walking again. "She's my little sister." He drew the next words out, "And we ran Rand together since she got her degree. And I tried to keep her safe from... Well, she's gone now. She left." Another silence from the other end. "It wasn't a good goodbye." He finally huffed out, rubbing his face again and brushing his hair back.

" _Hm."_ Was all he got for a moment as he walked. " _Where are you?"_ Her voice was perplexed.

"Um, walking. I guess I don't know which street this is." He winced. _Stop sounding like you're falling apart._

" _Hmmm,"_ she drew it out. _"No plans for Thanksgiving?"_

Ward hesitated at the change of subject, "No."

" _Can I call you back in 5 minutes?"_ He heard a door close over the phone and women's voices.

"Sure," he granted. "Call whenever you like."

A click answered him and he stopped walking to return his phone to his pocket after checking the time. He yawned into his hand and stretched. Ward wasn't usually so active after he took some relaxants, he stretched his shoulders and started walking again. _Almost there. I can lay down when I get there._

A few minutes later, he was shedding his coat and suit and loosely falling into his bed. As he closed his eyes and let himself be swallowed into the mattress, his phone rang. Ward's eyes opened slower than they should have before he reached off the side of his bed for his pant pocket. Finally finding it, his mouth turned up at the caller ID and he swiped to answer. "Hey," he sighed out, tugging the covers around to get warm.

 _"Hey again. Do you want to come over to my parents' house for Thanksgiving?"_

Ward stilled, "What?"

Eva's voice on the other end faltered slightly, " _Do you want to have Thanksgiving with us? There's a guest room if you want to come out Wednesday. It's my parents, Sofia, her boyfriend, and I."_

Ward shifted his phone to his other ear as he relaxed down. "Oh. Um, I don't want to intrude-"

 _"You wouldn't be. We always have too much food on Thursday anyway. It'll be nice. A couple days out of the city, away from your office, and I might be biased, but I think my family is kind of great entertainment."_ She sounded like she was grasping at straws. _"If anything, it'll give me another chance to steal and keep your coat."_ She ended that part with a giggle.

Ward smiled, his eyes sliding shut "Are you drunk right now?"

 _"Mmmom, Sof, and I may have cracked a bottle of wine."_ He heard giggles from the background as Sofia's voice rang out the number 3 and another door closed.

Ward chuckled, it was a soft, short sound, "Maybe you should ask me when we're both sober."

 _"Hm, that's very reasonable, Mr. Meachum."_ Ward winced and Eva continued, " _Did you make it home alright or did you freeze to death on some mystery street?"_

"Oh the afterlife has a very comfortable bed that I've commandeered." He reassured her.

 _"I bet."_ Eva murmured.

Ward stretched and fidgeted with the corner of his pillow case.

" _Are you sober yet?"_

Ward smiled, "Not particularly."

 _"Close enough for me. So are you coming?"_

Ward swallowed. "I could maybe."

Irritation flirted in her voice, " _There's that 'maybe' again. Come on, Ward, straight answer. I need that coat."_

He cleared his throat. "So, drive out Wednesday, stay over, dinner, then come back Thursday night?"

" _Hell no, imagine the traffic. Stay until Saturday."_

Ward blinked, not sure if she was making the suggestions from a sound mind or not. "Did you already talk to your family about that idea?"

" _Yes, they are actually the ones who suggested staying the whole time. Say 'yes' already. Stop making everything so hard."_ It came through as a rush of words.

Ward widened his eyes. _Why does everything have to be so goddamn hard?_ "Ok."

" _Yeah?"_

"Yeah, just, just text me the address. Is it a long drive? Do I need to bring anything?"

" _It's just about an hour and a half."_ He could hear the smile in her voice. " _Don't bring anything. I'll meet you at the grocery store in town and we can ride to the house together, the roads are-"_ she hesitated, " _circuitous?"_

"Ok."

" _Ok."_

There was a moment of silence where he anxiously twisted the sheet in his hand and his voice was low when he finally spoke again. "So what kind of deal is this? Casual affair? Suit and tie? Body armor for meeting your parents?"

" _I wouldn't think of it as casual,"_ her voice murmured softly from the other end before she cleared her throat. " _Just nice casual, I think. It's usually dresses for us and dad wears some nice slacks and a tie and a button up shirt. I don't know what Daniel's going to wear yet. You can save the armor for when you go up against Kay, you may need it then._ "

Ward hummed an agreement into the dark room and they stayed quiet for a moment. "Well, I don't want to take you away from your family, so I guess I'll see you Wedn- wait that's tomorrow." He sat up too quickly and felt a lightness in his head before groaning and laying back down. A giggle sounded from the other end before cutting off quick.

 _"What happened? Are you okay?"_

"Yes! Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just, I'm not sober and sat up too quickly," he finished lamely.

 _"Oh,"_ relief peppered her voice.

 _It's so strange to have someone concerned for me these days._ "I have to get some things at work straightened out in the morning before I leave. Hm, I need to pack too." He glanced over at the bag still sitting by his closet, rubbed his forehead, and sighed. "I just don't want to get up again."

 _"Because of the comfortable afterlife bed?"_ The smile was back in her quiet voice.

It was in his too, "Because of the comfortable afterlife bed."

The giggle came back on the phone. " _So you get to see all my places and I only got to see the lobby of your office building. This friendship is hardly equal."_

His smile slipped a little when she said 'friendship' but he followed along anyway, content that they can at least be friends. "That's not true. I saw your work, and your sister's work. That's it, we're even."

A puff of air sounded before she tsked at him, " _Not even, I live there,_ _ **and**_ _you will be coming to my parents' house. Not even at all."_

"Even with the coat theft as tax?" he murmured and was happily rewarded with another giggle.

 _"The god of business must have such a luxurious abode."_

Ward looked to his bedroom door and pictured the chaos of his condo, vents hanging from their hinges, cupboard doors left open, wall hangings strewn about from his search for his father's cameras and microphones. "Not really actually. Your shop is much better."

Her voice is coy and only a little slurred as she jumps in, " _I don't know that my place has a comfy incorporeal bed though."_

Ward's lip twitched. _I would gladly volunteer to check for you. "_ Mysteries abound, plenty of sofas though."

She hummed. " _Well, busy Mr. Meachum, you should get some sleep if you're going to be ready tomorrow."_

"I suppose so," he agreed. "Goodnight, Eva."

" _Mm, sleep tight, Ward."_

The click was deafening in the dark room and Ward sprawled his arms out, staring at the ceiling before his eyes slowly slid shut for the last time that night.


	6. Pies and Murder

Ward stared at the wine rack in the small liquor store a few blocks from Rand. _They had three bottles of wine last night, I could restock that for them, that's an okay Thank-You gift for inviting me. Right?_ He shifted his wait before picking 3 of the more expensive bottles, a red, a white, and a sangria. _That should do fine._

Setting the brown sack in the back with his suitcase, he pushed the trunk down and returned to the front seat. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect as he texted Eva that he was just heading out. The Meachum siblings hadn't really done much for holidays after their parents were "gone." _What do normal people do? If it's normal, it can't be that hard._ He set the navigation on his phone and pulled out of the parking lot aiming for one of the highways west out of town. He had gone to the office early to sort out a number of new business proposals the board had suggested and he was leaving later than he had intended. But his bag was packed, the wine was bought, and he was on his way- even if it was going to be a long drive in a suit, he loosened his tie with one hand. He didn't want to waste time driving the opposite direction just to change.

An hour and a half later, Ward put the car in park and texted Eva that he'd arrived. He got out and stretched his back, looking around the parking lot full of cars before walking to the entrance but stopped as Eva in a form fitting white sweater and jeans stepped out holding grocery bags while digging in her purse. He took a few quick strides to shorten their distance. "Hey, need an extra hand?" He was already reaching for the bags when she looked up, eyes like a startled deer. The look was quickly replaced by a wide grin.

"Ward! You're here! And no, I just got a text so I wanted to check it. It can wait!" The days away had done her good. The dark circles that permanently pooled beneath her eyes were a tad more faded and her smile seemed easier. "How was the drive?"

Ward smiled back a bit more uncertainly, "It was fine. It went by surprisingly quick."

Eva hummed and nodded, staring at Ward for a heartbeat before he reached again to take some of the heavier bags from her. She blinked as though clearing her head and smiled again, "Well come on, we have pies to make. Where'd you park?"

Ward blinked as he started walking, "We?" After giving it a thought he glanced over at her, "You know, I don't think I've ever made a single pie before."

Eva frowned at him before grinning again, "Well after today, you'll have helped with three. Two pumpkins and a pecan- what kind of pie do you like?"

"Seems like any pie is good pie," he shrugged.

Eva's smile turned into a smirk. "My kind of man, but alas, all pies are not created equal."

The two loaded the groceries into the back seat before Eva leaned against the driver door and looking to the side. "You know," she drawled, "I'm the one that knows where we are going, so technically, I should drive. Besides, you're probably sick of driving by now." By the end of her hinting she was looking at Ward with a not so discreet "give-me-the-keys" smile that she was trying desperately to stomp out.

Ward smirked as he shrugged and dug in his pocket, sighing, "You only hang out with me for my toys. Gold digger." He placed the keys in her outstretched hand and his lips turned up further at the light that bloomed in her eyes. He went to the passenger's side as she opened the door and climbed in.

"Ward, there's something wrong with you. This seat is way too far back."

He slipped into his seat gracefully and looked over at her, still holding the button to move the seat forward. "Normal people can reach the peddles," he muttered at her. _Normal people, ha._

Eva turned and glared before the light returned to her eye and she smiled a coy smile. "Ah, that explains it. It must be difficult for manufactures to cater to **superior** individuals such as myself." She clicked her seat belt for emphasis and looked pointedly at Ward as he slouched comfortably in his side of the car, resting his chin on his hand. He raised an eyebrow. "Well, buckle up, buttercup!" she finally demanded.

Ward raised both eyebrows, "Buttercup?" Even so, he sat up and clicked his belt in. Eva turned the car on and exited the lot, following a number of twisting roads and cautiously turning at blind corners covered with trees.

At a stoplight, she glanced over at Ward, "So, my dad will be there. His name is James, but he goes by Jim. He worked as a carpenter for most of his life and has been coming up with all sorts of things he needs extra hands for. He's a bit serious, but I'm convinced he's the sweetest man in the world. My mom's name is Penny-"

Ward interrupted her, innocently asking, "Is she the sweetest lady in the world?"

Eva stuck her tongue out at him and was rewarded with a wider smirk. "Anyway, she's actually not. She's where Sofia gets it." Ward grimaced before she continued, "I love her anyway, she means well. She taught high school for most of her life, so she also has a 'take-no-shit' kind of attitude. And you've met Sofia. Then there is Daniel, whom I've just met two days ago, but he seems okay, I guess, maybe a bit intense sometimes. He works in programming, I guess," she trailed off at the end. Peaking to either side before turning.

Ward hummed acknowledgment and she told him whose who, making mental notes of their professions and trying to come up with possible conversation topics to help him not seem like he's completely isolated himself for the last four months. Finally, they pulled into a gravel driveway of a two story house surrounded by grass and trees. Ward quickly sat up and pulled the mirror down to fix his tie that he'd forgotten was loose. Eva smirked as she watched from the corner of her eye before turning the car off and hopping out. Ward sucked in a deep, calming breath and opened his door.

As he took grocery bags from Eva, they both heard the house door followed by Sofia's excited scream, "Ward! Brace yourself I'm going to hug you!" He tensed and turned just as the slender blonde threw her arms around him. "I knew you two would be a thing eventually!" She murmured more quietly into his shoulder and he could smell wine on her breath.

"Oh, we aren't-" and then she was off him and grabbing his grocery bags.

"You probably have clothes and stuff to bring in. Evie and I got these!"

Eva shifted some bags around nervously before handing him his keys back and smiling without looking him in the eye. "Thanks for having fancy toys for me to bum. Do you need help with your other bags?"

Ward shook his head as he pocketed the keys, "No, thank you. I didn't bring much." He stepped to the trunk and grabbed his suitcase and the brown bag full of wine. "I did bring a peace offering though, since it sounds like you ladies seem in need of a wine refill."

Eva grimaced and glanced to the house, "Yeah, they got an early start this morning. I just got up a bit ago though, so since I'm most sober, pie-making falls to me." She rolled her shoulders with a wince. "But that's okay, I'll make you help. You're sober now, right?" She sent a cocky smile his way and he bit his answering lips.

"What happened to not enslaving the customers?"

"I'm all for enslaving guests. Forward march!" and she was on her way, letting Ward tag along after. Entering the house through the kitchen made him nostalgic for Eva's shop. Hints of coffee and vanilla and cinnamon floated through the air and the colors were warm and welcoming with echoes of laughter coming from further in. It made his chest ache. _It's normal, so it'll be easy. Nothing to be worried about here._

He loitered in there with Eva and Sofia as the three of them unpacked cans of pumpkin and sacks of pecans and other ingredients. Within seconds, the voices from deeper in the house grew louder. An older man stepped into the room with his hands shoved in his pocket and a grim disposition followed by a woman with silver streaking her dark hair and quick eyes. A second, younger man with a heavy 5 o'clock shadow tailed after them dressed in a vibrant polo and carpenter's pants.

The woman grinned as she swiftly approached him, extending her hand, "Well this guy knows how to wear a suit! You must be Ward, it's good to finally meet you!"

Ward gave her an anxious smile, "Penny, I take it? It's nice to meet you too." He gently took her hand before giving it a soft shake and squeeze.

The younger man grinned triumphantly, "Finally! A third man! We were outnumbered and outgunned here! I'm Daniel, Sofia's better half. Good to see ya!" He stepped forward and slapped Ward's shoulder as Ward breathed through his discomfort.

Penny stepped to the side, "This is my husband, Jim. He's cranky and won't say 'hello' because someone has been slacking on the pie." Eva shot her a glare as Jim smirked and stepped forward.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ward," he said softly, offering his hand, even as his eyes watched Ward, calculatingly. Ward shook his hand, careful to match the pressure and meet the man's eye.

"Pleasure's mine. Thank you for inviting me out. It's been too long since I've celebrated Thanksgiving properly." Sofia grinned wolfishly from the side and Ward continued before she could say anything to set him further on edge, "When Eva called last night it sounded like you were all running low on your wine rations, so I brought some. I wasn't sure if I should bring anything else." He trailed off, not sure what else to say even as Penny stepped in excitedly.

"Wine! Wine is good, you did good, Ward. Nothing else required! Except pie." She took the bottles and moved them to a wine rack hanging above the sink.

Eva huffed, "Good god, mom. If you wanted pie now, you could have made it this morning." The two women shared a look before Eva sighed again. "Fine, let me show Ward his room quick and I'll be back down and start." Penny smiled and fluttered her lashes at her daughter as Eva waved for Ward to follow her. As they stepped passed Jim, her father softly patted her shoulder before drifting further into the kitchen with the rest of his family.

The two entered a dining room with a threshing table surrounded with chairs and decorated with a runner of fall leaves and small brass pumpkin in the center. Following Eva along the wall, they turned once more and ascended a stair case to a hallway of doors. "So, here is Sofia and Daniel's room. Next is my parent's crafting room, mom likes quilting. Don't be surprised if she forces you to leave with one or two. Bathroom is directly opposite. This room is mine and you are just across the hall here." She paused by the open door and he stepped through taking in the queen sized bed and mahogany dresser and bedside table set, smiling at the brightly colored quilt over the bed.

"This bed is definitely for the living." Ward said looking at Eva in time to see her hide a blushing smile. Leaving his suit case by the bed, he leaned against the door frame opposite her. "So, the plan is," he hesitated only a heart beat, "pie-making?"

Eva stood across from him, a mere two feet away taking in his dark suit with ivory rimmed buttons, shiny shoes, and clean shaven face with his hair pushed back. A slow smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she hummed confirmation.

Ward's mouth answer, the corners turning up. "What are you looking at?"

Eva cleared her throat, "Nothing, nothing, you might want to change unless you want flour on your good lookin' suit."

Ward echoed her hummed confirmation as he stared down at her patiently before he softly asked, "So are you going to let me close the door or do you plan on standing right there?" His smile turned to a smirk as her eyes widened and she swiftly stepped out of the doorway.

"I'll see you downstairs when you're ready." Her voice was breathier than normal and he kept his smirk as she fled down the stairs before closing the door to his new room and changing to his more casual clothes. _All dark, flour comes off easy, right?_ He hesitated at the door of his room before opening the door and descending the stairs, pausing in the dining room when he heard the hushed voices from the kitchen.

"-seems nice, polite at least." _Penny?_

"That asshole was polite too, and see how that turned out." _That's Jim._

"Dad, he's kind, alright? I can tell! I wouldn't have pushed for them so much if I thought he'd be bad for her." _So Sofia's still playing Cupid. I'll take that._

"She should wait before hanging around any more men. What if she gets into a repeat situation? What do we even know about this guy? All I could find out about him on the internet are his business dealings, which seem okay, but that doesn't tell you jack about a person. Sure he's rich, but is he a good man?" _Jim is almost as paranoid as I am. Can't blame him though._ _But where is Eva through all this?_

Ward silently backed up to the stairs before stepping off the last loudly and and making his way to the kitchen again, noting the change of tone in the conversation. Eva was not even in the room and Sofia took in his new wardrobe with a tense smirk from her perch on the counter by the sink. "Man, you're gonna get that covered in flour. Murphy's Law and all."

Ward winced before shrugging in his open, black button-up with rolled up sleeves, "It'll have to work out. I don't keep a lot of color options. Where did Eva go?"

Sofia's smile was less tense as she opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by Jim, "She's downstairs, getting the pie plates and an extra rolling pin." His tone gave away nothing as he stared back at Ward, his eyes boring into him.

Ward nodded and kept his face neutral. He was used to older men not knowing what to think of him and not taking Jim's disapproval seriously. He did take over the company at 18 after all. And it's not like he was even passed his 30s now as he dictated board rooms and controlled his employee's livelihoods.

Eva walked in then, arms laden with glass pie plates and a rolling pin tucked under her arm. Despite his composure, Ward felt relief. He didn't want to have to vie for Jim's good graces on his own, though it sounded like Sofia was definitely on his side. Eva looked at all the bodies in the kitchen before shaking her head, "Oh no, out, all of you. We don't need a repeat of last year. Ward, you're sober right now," she adds with a smile on the edges of her lips, "you get to stay." The rest of the group filed out, Sofia saluting her sister as she stepped by her and wiggled her eyebrows at Ward over Eva's shoulder.

Soon it was just the two of them and Ward leaned back against the counter, eyes on her. "So, what are your instructions, Overlord Eva? I've got no experience in this field. You may be better off with drunk Sofia."

Eva's face scrunched up, "Drunk Sofia in the kitchen is a catastrophe waiting to happen. I know this. I've witnessed it. First, tour of the kitchen..." She showed him where to find glasses, coffee cups, coffee beans, plates, bowls, measuring cups, and everything else she could think of.

He didn't think he owned half the utensils, nor did he know what the majority of them were for. Eva laughed when he said as much but reassured him, that she will give simple instructions and he can copy her for much of it. And so he did, noting how patient of a teacher she was and generally forgiving of mistakes.

They only had to chase Sofia out once when she came in, giggling for more wine. She left with a splotch of flour on her back from Eva.

Ward frowned at his pumpkin pie as it sat next to Eva's. There was an obvious visual difference. The crusts on her two pies, a pecan and pumpkin, were significantly more elegant than his sorry attempt at copying her. She laughed it away and pointed out it would taste the same. Slipping the pies into the oven, Eva set a timer on her phone and rolled her shoulders, stretching her arms back and wincing.

"You need to tell Kay to ease up on your manual labor assignments, you'll get knots." Ward informed her from the wall across the room.

"Uhg, my knots have knots... How do you feel about a walk? We've got time and it's nice out. Or we can see if we can catch up to everyone else with the wine and the beer and such- though I'd feel better waiting until the pies are done for that."

Ward straightened up, "Let's go for a walk, I've had enough sitting for the day too."

They stepped outside together and Ward followed her as she turned off to a dirt path into the trees. They dodged most of the branches and he breathed the air deeply, relishing the difference in the air from the city. Musky and clean, the scent of decaying leaves. They walked quietly for a time, listening to the wind push the remnants of fallen leaves and pines against each other. Eventually they came to a small clearing with an old, paint chipped bench and Eva settled contentedly on one end, there was space enough for another body, but Ward eyed it suspiciously. "You're sure that won't fall apart?" he asked when Eva pat the spot next to her.

She laughed, it was clearer than many he's heard from her before. _It's good for her to be away from the city._ _Or maybe it's good for her to be with her family?_ "I think this thing will outlive me! Dad made it decades ago."

Ward hummed consent and sat down gently next to her, holding his breath until he was sure it wouldn't break, yet. They sat in the trees, admiring the light filtering down to the ground and the colors setting the woods aflame. "So your descriptions were all spot on." He said, looking at nothing in particular. "Does your father like Daniel?" He raised an eyebrow at her, turning his head.

She smiled softly, "I don't know. I think Daniel is trying really hard though. Don't worry, you didn't need that body armor."

Ward leaned his head back and stared at the branches. "Are you sure, I get the feeling that they seem a little suspicious of me."

Eva took a long deep breath before slouching back with him. She folded her arms and stared up at the sky. "They are just- they just want to make sure I'm with safe people." Her fingers picked at the fabric on her elbows. "When I was with Keith, he, before he died, well-" she paused her rambling.

Ward watched her from the corner of his eye, not moving and quietly waiting for her to continue. She reached up and rubbed her upper arms taking a steadying breath and shifting to looking at the ground as she scuffed her shoes against pebbles. "Keith wasn't a good man. Not at the end." She mumbled. "It lasted longer than it should have, I had tried leaving a couple of times, but... I guess that's the way it goes in those situations."

Ward turned his eyes back to the sky, not sure what he should say, but to his surprise, she continued.

"I feel like, like I have to warn you, maybe? With the way it seems people keep pushing at us to be a thing. I don't have a good history. They ruled it self-defense." She shifted her weight, bringing her hands in front of her to pick at her cuticles, refusing to look at him, "At the end, he had a knife and I don't really remember what happened. Suddenly he was on the floor, and there was blood, and I was crying and trying to stop his bleeding, and I was bleeding, and Kay came in and-" it was a rush of words until she started shaking, her breaths ragged.

Ward turned his head to her and sat up. He gently reached an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. She was so small in that moment, tucked into his shoulder, staying there until her breathing calmed, one of Ward's hands holding her steady, the other rubbing up and down her back. _I know._ _I know how it's shattering._ He buried his face against her hair and forced himself to breathe slowly. _Just say it. Let her know she's not alone._ _Just say it, you coward._ He took a shuttering breath, "I had to kill my father this year." He took a deep breath before proceeding, noting Eva's body stilling in his arms. "He was pointing a gun at someone after having already killed others. So I, I shot him first. That's why Joy left me, she hadn't known what he had done, what he was planning to do. She thought it was all me. That he was the same man he was twenty years ago, despite all the bruises he'd given me, the concussions. She thinks it was all me." He said it more steadily than he thought possible, but when Eva pulled away to look at him, he kept his eyes down, knowing they were wet and afraid to see her face. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he released her from his arms, but she reached up and turned his face to her. Her fingers were cool and soft along his jaw, her other hand moving to the back of his head, as she took in his pained eyes, full of hurt and fear. He saw it mirrored in her own tearful eyes as she rested her forehead against his before twisting and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. He didn't dare to move or breathe as she tucked herself back into his shoulder.

"Maybe we'll be okay." She whispered to him facing the trees with unseen eyes.

Ward let himself take air again, in short, cut off breaths. He swallowed again and returned a hand to her shoulder and leaning his cheek on her hair. Slowly their breathing calmed, but they stayed sitting together, not wanting to move. Until Eva's phone started chiming.

"Shit." She silenced the alarm before standing and pulling Ward to his feet. "The pies will burn." She took off running back down the path and Ward followed after, more slowly, still numb with shock from the honesty their conversation had contained. And the level of comfort that one, single chaste kiss had given him.


	7. Panic! At the Disco

Ward paused and breathed deep before he stepped back in the kitchen door. The air smelled delicious. Sofia and Penny loomed by Eva as she pulled the pies from the oven with Jim and Daniel standing in the opposite doorway watching the ladies.

"Mm, we should break into the pie now and play a game before heading to the Hop." Sofia drooled.

Eva shot her a glance before bumping her sister out of the way with her hip and turning to set the hot pie on a pot holder. "No. We are saving the pies for tomorrow after dinner." Sofia and Penny's eyes widened with betrayal while Jim chuckled to the side. "But I'm down for a game," she glanced at Ward as the door closed behind him. "How about it, Ward? Up for a game?" She didn't meet his eyes.

Ward swallowed, "If any of you suggest Monopoly, I'm getting back in my car and going home."

Sofia turned on him, "Why?" She smiled sweetly. "Bad at money games?"

The corner of his lip tugged up a fraction, "You play, I'll watch." He leaned back against the wall as Eva frowned at the towel she was setting over the pies.

Daniel sauntered further into the room, "Maybe he's just afraid of losing. Whatever we play, we would end up playing couples and he knows they just couldn't handle us." He planted a light kiss on Sofia's temple and Eva turned her frown from the pies to Daniel.

Sofia straightened up, "Nah, we don't need him. Let's play that picture game! Where someone draws something and everyone has to guess what it is!"

"We need teams for Pictionary." Eva stated, leaning against the counter with the pies safe behind her. "Which would even out if mom plays since a certain someone never joins us." All three women turned a pointed look at Jim who shifted his feet and made a show of picking at a sliver in his hand. "Or," she went on, "one person could draw at a time and we can do individual points."

Daniel turned to Sofia only for her to bump him away, "You're all going down! I'll grab the paper!" Just like that, she was out of the room.

Penny grabbed the wine glasses and carried them to the dining table. Daniel grabbed three beers from the fridge and handed one to Jim and offered the third to Ward who took it with short nod and followed them to the dining room and reclaimed his positioning with the wall at his back. Eva and Penny sat to either side of Jim with Daniel claiming the next spot by Penny. Sofia came thundering down the stairs with paper and a pen, and sat next to Daniel, leaving an open spot on Eva's other side. "Alright, Switzerland," Sofia started, "bust out that phone and give us our topics." Jim rolled his eyes and dug his phone out while Sofia took her out her own cell and set up background music. Jim leaned over and whispered into Penny's ear and she pulled the paper in front of her.

As she began her sketch, the others leaned in blurting out answers until Sofia shouted "The weather channel!" Penny grinned and set the pen down. "One point to me! Let's play to- what?" she glanced at the clock behind her. "Three points?" Jim took the used paper and wrote names on the back, putting a tally by Sofia's.

Ward opened his beer bottle and took small sips as the game continued. Eva caught Daniel's "Jungle" and was tied with Sofia when Jim slid his face down phone to Sofia so she could see her prompt. Ward circled the table quietly and sat next to Eva who still hadn't looked him in the eye. As Sofia scribble away in broad strokes, Ward rested his chin on his hand and watched as a hunched over person took shape with ragged, old-fashioned clothing. His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward just a touch before smirking and looking at Eva next to him. She had her head cocked to the side and an eyebrow raised, but she was smiling at her little sister as Penny and Daniel howled out possible answers over the music. Ward tapped her elbow gently and was rewarded with her glancing over at him questioningly. He tipped his head towards her and whispered, "peasant."

A small laugh bubbled out of her and she looked back at the picture, "Peasant!" Her shout was more controlled than the others' but Sofia grimaced at her and set the pen down.

Jim marked down a second point for Eva and gave her and Ward a light, knowing smile.

 _Well that's progress, I suppose._

"Oh my god," Daniel leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with both hands, "I can't believe I'm losing to **everyone.** "

Penny cleared her throat, "It's not looking so good for me either."

The game ended when Sofia got her third point from Daniel, with Eva sitting at two points just behind her. "I'm so nice to you, letting you win all the time." Eva pat Sofia's hand across the table.

Sofia stuck her tongue out at Eva briefly before sitting back, "Don't you two think I didn't notice that canoodling with him whispering you words to try either! You cheating cheater faces!"

Ward sat back as well, raising his eyebrows and innocently looking to Eva who glanced over and made a drinking gesture with her hand in front of her face. He stifled a snort while Sofia slumped her face in her hands and Daniel rubbed her shoulders.

Penny slipped out of her chair, "Children, children, stop fighting. We played too long. The Harvest Hop is starting in 5 minutes and I seem to remember you girls said you had dresses you wanted to wear. You boys should be fine though." She waved at Jim, Daniel, and Ward as she wandered off to her own room to change.

Ward looked back at Eva as she stepped out of her chair, "Harvest Hop?" He really did try to keep the dread from his voice. An uncomfortable smile graced Eva's face as she rubbed her neck.

"Ah, yeah, it's a dance. A festival. There's a lot of food. And dancing. Just a little." Eva's eyes finally, cautiously made their way to his. _Sofia said she loves to dance._

He nodded, "Sounds good."

Her smile brightened at his consent and she placed a hand on his should as she walked by him to run upstairs after Sofia. He ignored the loss he felt when her hand was gone.

He could not ignore the discomfort at being left with just Jim and Daniel so suddenly. He shifted straighter in his seat as wrapped his fingers around the bottle still in front of him. Moments passed in awkward pseudo-silence as Sofia's phone thankfully continued playing music. He watched Daniel from the corner of his eye shift uncomfortably in his own seat. _I guess I'll start the conversation then. Joy always made it look easy._ Ward turned to Jim, "So Eva said you work as a carpenter."

Jim glanced at Ward before returning his eyes to his own bottle, picking at the wrapper. "Yeah, going on about 32 years now."

Ward blinked at the table and hummed. _He's been in that field longer than I've been alive._ "What are your favorite projects to work on?"

Jim leaned on the table and smiled slightly looking over at Ward with the least hostility he shown the whole evening. "Out of everything? Including buildings and shit?" He looked out the window passed Ward. "I guess that would be furniture. My favorite piece is a bench I made a couple decades ago. I hadn't made one before and was determined to come up with the design on my own. It was a poorly decided mess." Ward gave slow smile. _The bench in the woods._ "Eventually I got it right and when we moved here, the girls were adamant that we bring it with. So it's sitting outside here somewhere now. Probably wanting to fall apart."

Ward nodded, "Yeah, I think it may be the one Eva and I walked out to it earlier. She seems to think it's going to last forever." He took a drink, silently patting himself on the back for the smile Jim now wore. _He'll at least tolerate me soon enough._

"It seems to move every time the girls come out to visit." Jim smiled down at his beer and Daniel leaned forward cocking his head to the side.

"Ah, I'll have to ask Sof to show me later."

Sofia glided into the room, adorned with a low-cut, bright red dress with dark nylons, her make up less dramatic than usual. Her overall look less dramatic than usual. "Show you what?"

Daniel's shoulders visibly relaxed as she sat down next to him. "The bench your dad made. **You** are beautiful."

"I know," she smiled. "Yeah, Eva and I put it in the clearing down the path this time. I promise we didn't hide it." She smirked to her father.

Jim's smile grew wider, but it brightened even further when Eva, wearing a more modest, darker red dress with a scarf wrapped loosely around her neck and shoulders slipped into the room quietly. She took her seat back next to Ward and gave him a shy smile before grinning over at her father. "So, dad, your dance card all full or can you squeeze me in a dance or two at this deal?"

Jim grimaced and leaned back in his chair, "I don't know, the teller at the bank has been eyeing me every time I go in these days and I know she's going to-"

"My god, James! I **can** still hear you! And that secondhand money-grubber can find her own date!" Penny's voice cut through the air and Jim winked at Sofia as she giggled.

Still smiling, Eva leaned back in her chair. "So how are we getting there? Two cars or piling in to one?"

Sofia groaned, "We're not even leaving yet. Do you really have to have everything planned all the time?" She leaned her head on Daniel's shoulder.

Eva fidgeted with her scarf but glared back at Sofia, "Well it is kind of vital for getting from point A to B."

 _Well they sound tenuous. Siblings._ "We can use my car if needed."

Daniel leaned back, "Alright! Dog pile in Ward's car!"

Eva's eyes widened as she stole a look at Ward, "Shotgun!"

Ward glanced back and forth between the two, "Wait, just my car?"

"Yeah!" Daniel was already set on the plan, "You two can sit up front, where we can keep an eye on you." He wiggled his eyebrows at Ward and Eva, "And us four will cuddle up for warmth in the back." Daniel grinned down at Sofia.

Eventually, they donned coats and filed out of the house into the cool night air before piling into the car.

Ward looked over at Eva beside him in the front. "I think this is the most people I've ever had in here," he quietly confessed. A slow smirk answered him as he turned the key. _What was it that Glen said that other night? Oh, if he could see me chauffeur now._

"Of course," Eva gently pointed out, "this means you're the DD. Unless you want me to drive tonight." She smiled and looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

Jim's voice sounded from the back, "I'm the driver later tonight, you kids do your party thing."

Ward cringed inwardly at being referred to as a kid- with a party thing, but then, Jim and Penny were at least 20 years his senior so he decided to ignore his irritation and agreed that it would be okay.

Upon arriving at the pavilion, Ward pulled up in front and suggested they all get out and he'd park. Sofia and Penny purred at what a gentleman he was, but Eva said she wanted to go with him, joking that he could get lost on his own. That's how he soon found himself walking, arm in arm, alone with Eva. _I'm not mad at this situation._ They were silent for the most part as she kept by his side walking up to the large doors. Ward grabbed the door for her and she gave her shy smile, still avoiding his eyes. Shedding their coats at the front, they were assaulted by music and roaring laughter and the sound of dozens of conversations as soon as they handed off their tickets. Small tables around the parameter of the large room held a variety of foods creating a mesh of delicious scents that made Ward's mouth water. _I forgot lunch again._ He scolded himself. _Did I eat breakfast even?_ He swallowed, eyeing the stands with want.

"Jesus, Ward." Eva laughed, "If you were hungry you should have said something!"

He looked down at her and gave a slight smile. "I just became painfully aware that I forgot food today. Can I grab you something too? What's good?"

He saw her giggle more than he heard it over the din, she stood on her toes, balancing by holding his arm as she spoke directly into his ear as he leaned down, "I'll take a hot turkey sandwich from the third booth down the line. I'll grab drinks and meet you at the table they got!" She pointed and his eyes followed to where her family had claimed a table. He nodded and made his way off to get the food.

 _There are a lot of people here._ After waiting a couple minutes he finally got to order. He looked towards the bar where he'd last seen Eva only to find her missing from the line. His heart pounded in his chest until he turned to the table and saw her sitting beside her father.

Carrying the paper plates, he weaved through the sea of strangers until he got to the table and set the plates down, taking a seat, once more, by Eva. She turned to him and grinned, holding a glass already half empty. The corners of Ward's mouth tipped up, "Eva, you might have a binge drinking problem."

Eva's grin turned wicked, "My only problem is people. Don't be part of the problem, Ward." She clinked her glass against the one sitting in from of him. "A whiskey sour for you. And a whiskey kiss for me." She took her sip as Ward let out a short laugh.

"This guinea pig can drink to that." He nodded. Eva hid her smile behind her own glass as he took a brisk swallow of his own drink. Devouring his food, Ward listened to the others point out couples they knew and gossip. _There, this is fine. Normal isn't so hard._

"Oh! Dad! The Jeffrey's are here tonight!" Eva twisted on the bench so that she could watch the dance floor. Jim smiled and followed her gaze over her shoulder. Glancing over at Ward, Eva smiled as well, "They are my favorite couple to watch dance. It's beautiful really! They've been together for ages and you can tell with how they each move." Her eyes, now vibrant, were back at the dance floor, watching an older couple twirl about in perfect rhythm to each other.

Two more drinks passed before Eva turned back to her dad and raised her eyebrows. Jim sighed, "I am a tired, boring, feeble, old man. Go dance with your date."

Ward choked on his whiskey and barely heard Eva over his coughing.

"Harsh, dad. Really rough there. You aren't that tired." Jim's eyes crinkled with his smile at his eldest daughter. "Come on, Ward," Eva took his hand as she stood up and lightly tugged for him to follow.

This time when they reached the dance floor, he didn't let go of her hand. The music was much louder closer to the small band and he smiled, patiently waiting for her to face him and take her position in front of him before placing his other hand on her waist. She smiled up at him as they joined in the dancing. It was a quicker beat than at the lounge, but they made it work. They danced passed Sofia and Daniel a couple of times, and even Jim and Penny. Soon Ward learned that Eva would laugh whenever he twirled her and they were rapidly getting dizzy. The last song they danced to was him spinning her non-stop as she laughed and they stumbled to a table to sit down panting. Eva's eyes were shining in the atmospheric light and Ward was laughing at her grin before leaning in and saying he'd get more drinks. Eva nodded happily and settled into the bench.

Ward continued to keep an eye on Eva from a distance, barely admitting to himself that he was having fun. _It's nice to actually have someone to have fun with for a change._ Standing in line at the bar, Ward watched as two young men approached Eva's bench, one of them sitting down next to her. He scuffed his foot against the floor, impatient for the drinks so he could return. She stood up and flipped them off. _That was definitely not a happy gesture._ The two guys tailed after her as she walked off and Ward left the bar, using quick, long strides he closed the distance and stepped in front of the two men, keeping Eva behind him. They all looked at each other before one of the men grinned at Ward and turned to his friend, "Look Sammy, the spider got herself some new prey."

Ward inwardly winced, noticing the glassiness of their eyes. _Are they that intoxicated? Are they serious right now? Isn't there a drink limit at these things?_ "No offense gentlemen," his voice was low and even, "but I don't think she's interested in your company." He felt Eva's hand gently tug on his arm as she softly said his name at his shoulder.

Sammy eyed Ward a second longer than his friend did before smiling as well, "Oh we just wanted to ask if she knew where our buddy Keith has been these days. That was before we remembered he's dead." The two looked passed him with bitter smiles to where Eva shifted her feet, her light grip still on Ward's arm. _Christ, what assholes._

"Ward, let's just go. They're just assholes." _Yes, they are._

He eyed the two men, before nodding stiffly and turning to follow her. The second man reached a hand out and grabbed Ward's arm, smirking and about to say something but stopped when Ward shoved his hand away roughly, baring his teeth, and shoving a finger in the man's chest. "You don't touch me," he growled. "And stay the hell away from Eva."

"Ward." Her voice was firm and he turned to face her, her eyes went wide. "Wait, no!"

He spun around and was able to move just enough for the punch to glance off his jaw rather than landing solid. The man righted himself before moving to swing again, but this time Ward saw it coming and pushed the punch to the side before giving a sharp jab to one of the man's kidneys. He ignored how disturbingly similar it was to his father's favored move. _I am not like him._ He repeated the thought to himself as the man sagged against Ward with the sudden pain. Sammy swore and grabbed his friend's other arm, hoisting him up and guiding him to a nearby chair.

Ward turned to where Eva had been standing but she was already rushing through to an exit. He cursed under his breath and practically ran to the coat rack ripping his coat off the hanger and grabbing hers as well before flying out the door and chasing after her. He called her name and saw a figure turn around off in the dark. He slowed to a walk, finding her shivering.

"Why didn't you just leave it alone?" The tears in her furious eyes glittered in the moonlight.

Ward stopped, her coat in his hands. "I did- I was going to." He softly pointed out.

"We could have walked away!" She hissed.

Ward clenched the coat in his hand, "Well the guy punched me first! Remember? Did you want me to **not** defend us then?" His voice was louder than it should be and he didn't miss the way she flinched. _Damn it all!_

"After you yelled at him!" She soldiered on. "They would have left me alone eventually- they always do! And I don't need you defending me! That's not your place!" She was nearly shouting herself at the end.

 _Fuck, this was supposed to all be easy._ He took another small step forward and kept his voice soft as she stepped back, "Alright, Eva. I'm sorry this happened. I know you don't need me to do anything for you." She glared back at him and he stopped walking and ran a hand through his hair. _Just be honest, no need for lies here._ "Look, Eva, my whole life- okay? It was my whole life." He could feel the tears in his eyes as he pushed his hair back again, struggling to keep his voice steady. "I don't cope well when people invade my space either, okay? He grabbed my arm and I panicked. Alright? I panic too! I'm human."

Eva stared back at him, eyes still guarded before she looked down and nodded.

Ward's eyes rested on her as they stood in silence. "So," he drew the words out after a few seconds, "can I give you your coat?" Eva looked up at him, shivering in the cold night air before nodding again. "Thank you," he said softly as he approached her and held her coat for her to slip into. He lightly rubbed up and down her arms once the coat was on before he let his hands fall away when she didn't look at him. They continued to stand there, not sure what to do. Ward glanced back at the doors, "Should I give your dad the keys and we can walk back to the house? Or did you want to go back inside?" _I really don't want to go back in there._ He looked back at the ground and kicked at a rock, then watched her feet shift as she thought about the options he had suggested.

"I think- maybe a walk could be good for us."

Ward looked up at her face and nodded in relief, taking a couple steps back towards the pavilion but slowing when she didn't follow. Taking in the look in her eyes, he nodded again holding his keys up, "I'll be right back." She just nodded and turned away.

Stepping back into the noise and crowd, Ward looked out over the mass of people for any familiar faces. He spotted Sofia and Daniel laughing together at one of the tables and made a beeline for them. "Hey Sofia, Daniel-"

"Fuck, Ward, what happened to your jaw?" Sofia leaned forward, brow furrowed with concern.

Ward winced. _That bad, huh?_ "It met a fist. Eva and I are going to walk back to the house. Some assholes were being assholes and it just kind of killed the party for us."

Sofia drew her shoulders back, "What? Who was it? What happened?"

Ward shrugged, "One called the other Sammy? Anyway, you two take my keys so when you're all ready to leave you can."

The blonde's eyes flared, "Sammy? John and Sammy are here? I hope you fucking castrated those bastards!"

Ward and Daniel glanced at each other with wide eyes before looking back to Sofia. "Um," Ward hesitated, "I'm pretty sure my punch hurt him worse than his did me, but that's all I got," he offered lamely.

Sofia scowled and snatched his keys, "Get home safe, Ward. And you make sure she's okay."

He nodded and left the pavilion, finding Eva tucked into the same shadow as before. After a moment of looking at each other, they began the long walk back, hands stuffed in their pockets and space between them.

 _Punched in the face and kissed in the same day. I'm doing well._ Ward glanced over at the woman walking next to him. She looked pale. _Great. I ruined her Thanksgiving. I'm doing so well. Such a great guest_. The walk was a silent one between Ward, Eva, and the plump, waning moon up above.

When they finally reached the house, Eva simply went to her room before coming out and heading into the bathroom without saying anything. Ward listened to shower start as he shed his clothes and donned sweat pants and a t-shirt for bed, trying not to think. The shower shut off and there was silence until he heard one door open and another close across from his own. It was still fairly early, but he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and pulled the quilts back to laid down. Normally at this time he would be consuming copious amounts of caffeine, or alcohol, or pills, but he had no drive tonight and sleep was a welcome thought. So he popped a single Valium and laid there waiting for his eyes to close and run away with his bad dreams. Ward steeled himself for sleep. Waiting to hear his father's voice, his sister's voice. Both insisting on how hungry they were. They were hungry most nights.

Instead he heard a light tapping at his door followed by Eva's voice, quietly saying his name. If he'd been asleep, he'd have missed it. He didn't respond but the door opened a crack anyway and she padded in quietly. "Ward?" Her voice was soft but he turned his head to her in the dark as something in his chest tightened.

"I'm awake." He said equally quiet. He watched her shadowed figure pause in the darkness before it closed the door and came closer, sitting on the edge of his bed. Ward slid up to lean against the wall.

For a few seconds they just listened to each other breathing in the dark before Eva finally spoke, "I'm sorry for how I reacted. I got scared and I shouldn't have put that on you." Her voice was still a whisper despite being the only two in the house.

Ward looked at his shadowy hands, considering her words. "And I'm sorry I ruined your Thanksgiving. I'll leave in-"

There was a scoffed "No!" before a hand reached out and took his. "You didn't ruin anything." A cool thumb stroked his fingers, back and forth, back and forth. "I'm sorry I made you feel like it was you." She drew a deep breath. "I was actually very happy you came here," she confessed to the dark, "I still am."

The tightness in his chest widened. "Me too," he murmured, returning the grip on her hand lightly.

Silence reigned for a moment before Eva let go and stood up again, padding to the door. "Goodnight, Ward."

"Goodnight, Eva." His voice was barely a breath as the door opened. He watched her stand in the doorway before she stepped back into the room, closing the door and once more approaching his bed.

"Ward?"

A smirk threatened his lips, "Still awake."

A heartbeat passed before she went on, "Can I stay with you tonight?"

Ward's lungs stopped expanding as he replayed her voice in his head.

"Not like," she began, "I don't mean as in- I just don't-" She sucked in a breath and started over. "I don't mean in a relational sense, I guess? I don't expect anything from you. I just... I don't want to be alone. And I want to be with you," she finished lamely, discomfort making a home in her voice. He was certain she'd be blushing.

Ward brushed his bangs back and forced himself to breathe again. _Purely platonic. That's fine._ He nodded before his mind caught up to the fact that it was dark. "Of course," he consented before shifting to the side to make space for her. He felt the bed adjust as she crawled in under the covers, keeping her distance. He laid on his side, facing her and allowing her distance, listening to her breathing. Soon her breaths evened out and deepened. "Eva?" He waited for a response that never came. Focusing on her breathing, Ward eventually drifted off to sleep-

Only to wake up hours later, panting, the room still dark and Eva's even breaths still whispering. He could feel the warmth emanating from her body. _We must have gotten closer to each other while sleeping._ He ignored the want in his head, but still reached in front of him until he felt a soft, thin fabric, different from the sheets. _Hm, what does she wear to sleep? It was dark._ He gripped a fold and stayed still, waiting, fighting the urge to toss and turn. Finally he let go and carefully slipped out of the bed, grabbing his phone from the table and using the light to look for his pill bottle. Once he found it, he took three, as quietly as he could before setting the bottle back on his table and sneaking out of the room.

First he went to the kitchen and downed a glass of water, hoping for the pills effects to hit. Then he moved to the dining room and sat in one of the straight-backed chairs, folding his hands and resting his forehead against them. Eyes closed, he waited for his father's voice to stop echoing in his head. _I created you, you belong to me._ It would repeat over and over. The insults Harold would hurl at him a soundtrack to his sleep deprived nights. Ward opened his eyes and hazily reflected on the day instead, culminating with Eva asking to stay with him, the tone of her voice when she said she wanted to be with him. He accepted that she had no romantic or sexual feelings for him, but he had to think of anything other than the voices of his family in his head. So he put her on repeat instead, and day dreamed about her smiles, how she looks so surprised when she laughs and strives to cut her giggles short. The way her skin would feel under his hands.

Ward sits awake, and waits for morning, dreaming of the woman upstairs in his bed.

–

Eva opened her eyes to the dark. It wasn't uncommon for her to not sleep for very long. _My blankets feel- wait, no, I'm in Ward's bed._ She froze her fidgeting and listened, but didn't hear his breathing. "Ward?" There was nothing as she built up the courage to reach out and feel for him before finding that she was the only one in the bed. She slid out from under the covers and padded to the light switch. The light confirmed that he was gone, but his belongings were still here and she spied the pill bottle on the bedside table. She walked over and picked it up. _Lorazepam? Why does Ward have Valium?_ She set the bottle down and crossed her arms in front of her before rubbing them for warmth. The small clock on the dresser read 1:13. _I wonder if he's okay._ She turned off the light on her way out of the room.

The house was dark as she tip toed down the stairs. She turned the corner at the bottom to see Ward propped up by his arms at the dining table, his face covered by his hands and his hair falling forward. The man was still, shoulders rising and falling microscopically with each breath. "Ward?" Eva whispered, aware that her family would be home and in bed by this time. She crept up beside him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ward, come back to bed," she hesitantly commanded.

His hands slowly fell as he turned to her. The garden lights shining in through the window illuminating his morose eyes. "Eva." Her name was more of a breath again as he reached for her hand, a glitter of what looked like hope flashing on his face.

This close, with the light from the garden she could see the glassiness in his dark eyes, the red rimmed lids. She swallowed thickly. _He's high?_ "Ward," she brushed the hair from his face until he released her hand to grip her waist and pull her closer. She ended up on his lap, his arms gently trapping her as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Eva," he whispered again, raising his head and drifting his lips lightly against her neck and shoulder.

Her heart hammered between her lungs as she fought to keep her breathing steady. _It's okay. He just wants comfort, that's all. It's not like he's kissing me or anything._ He paused at the slope of her neck and gave a slow, soft kiss to her collar bone, sliding a hand up along her back, the other ghosting from her waist to her thigh. _Shit. Oh boy. Okay._ She took as steadying breath and leaned away. "Ward," she whispered firmly, using a hand to make him meet her eyes. _God damn it, how can he be so sad?_ She took in the look in his eyes and the set of his down turned lips and rubbed her thumb along his jaw where a narrow bruise had blossomed. His hand at her thigh raised and gently cupped her cheek as he leaned towards her lips. Her breath caught even as she firmly set her hands on his shoulders and pressed him back. He stopped leaning forward and looked at her as though he was in a dream. _Well he is high. Most definitely._ _And maybe still a little drunk._ She forced herself not to acknowledge that he was trying to give her such attention. She also disregarded how lean and solid his body felt against her. _Nope. Not thinking about that._ "Ward, not right now. Not when you're like this." She maintained firm eye contact even as his eyes drifted in and out of focus. _At least he's nodding._

He dropped his head back to her shoulder, and all his hands did from then on was help to support her sitting on his lap. She swallowed again. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Everyone's gone these days."

 _He's lonely._ A knot formed in her stomach. _That's all, he's just lonely. He misses the assholes that left him_. "I'm here," she said without thinking. "You have me," she wrapped her arms around him and held him loosely.

He made a sound somewhere in between a laugh and a sob before going quiet again. "I don't even know if I'm free or if they are all coming back. I don't know if I found all the cameras and microphones. There could be even more at home. And they're still starving. I hear them at night. They're still so hungry." He shivered against her and her hug tightened.

 _What the hell is he into? This is a bad trip._ "You're safe here, Ward," she whispered into his hair. "You're safe with me." Another shiver racked his body and she leaned back, her hand tugging his chin up so she could look him in the eyes again. _So broken._ _They could be downright beautiful. Like glittering ponds in the middle of the night-_ She cut the thought off, she didn't need to fantasize about his eyes right now. _Especially while sitting on his lap with him clearly not having any inhibitions._ She forcefully pushed the memory of his hands and lips trailing on her skin away. "Ward, are you going to be okay?" She tried to steady the quiver in her voice.

His hand reached up again and his fingers trailed from her chin to resting his palm against the back of her head. He leaned his forehead against hers, barely adding a nod before closing his eyes.

She let him rest like that for a moment before rubbing his shoulder. "Ward, let's get you back to bed." _All we need is for mom or dad to come out of their room._ She warily glanced at the door in the living room, just a few paces away as she felt another nod from him. She slid off his lap and watched him stand up, swaying slightly until she took his arm in her hands and slowly guided him back to his room, gently hushing him when he murmured her name in the hallway. She helped him back into his bed and hesitated before tucking the blankets up around his shoulders and turning away to leave.

"Eva!" A hand gripped her wrist and her finally settling heart gave more solid pounds. _It's okay. It's just Ward. He's just lonely. I'm okay. He's okay._ She looked back at him and questioned her own mind. He looked like shit. "Eva, don't?" His eyes were desperate, and his voice sounded as though he was drowning and couldn't finish the question. She swallowed a third lump in her throat before nodding.

"Okay, just let me get the light," she whispered, peeling his hand from her wrist. After flicking the switch she stood by the door, considering her options. _The door is right there._ But Ward's tentative voice drew her back to the bed and she slipped in beside him, shivering as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her back to his chest, him bending to fit against her body. _He's just lonely. It's okay. It's okay because so am I._ She felt him tuck his face close the back of her head and she begged her heart to slow down even as his breathing steadied and his body finally relaxed into sleep. She focused on the rise and fall of his chest against her back, her heart responded and steadied in turn, slowly letting her drift back to sleep.


	8. And He Walks With Me

Ward opened his eyes and groaned before remembering that Eva had been in bed last night and cutting the groan short. Turning his head, the light filtering in the window showed him he was alone in his room. He frowned. The frown deepened when flashes of being downstairs flickered through his head and horror gripped him when he realized the way he had touched her. _She was real. I thought I was hallucinating. Fuck. Oh fuck._ He slipped out of bed to pace in the room and glanced at the clock. _7:32. Okay. Alright. This is fine. Fuck._ He pushed his hair back and rubbed his face before grabbing his bag and quietly opening his door. The coast was clear, he crept in to the bathroom, closing the door.

Feeling more awake following the shower, Ward brushed his teeth. He leaned against the bathroom counter, bath towel tied around his waist as he considered how he could apologize to Eva for being so forward. _I apologize. A lot. One would think it would get easier._ He scowled in the mirror at his bruise, too busy being frustrated to despair at any familial resemblances.

And then the door opened and he turned and froze. Daniel blinked at him and he blinked back. _What the hell?_ "Shit, Ward, seriously? Put some clothes on before Sofia sees you and dumps my fat ass!"

Ward blinked again. _What the hell?_ He pointed at the door, "Croshe deh doh?" He growls around the tooth paste foam, barely hearing another door open in the hallway.

"Sorry, excuse me, Da-" Eva slid into view by Daniel making her way down the hallway but froze outside the door, her wide eyes glued to Ward. Her face paled as her eyes traveled down his chest. Ward reached his hand to the towel to ensure it stays in place as Eva finally tore her eyes away, pale face flushing. "Um, excuse me. I'll- I'm sorry to interrupt. I'll leave you two to it." And she disappeared down the hall, her footsteps descending the stairs rapidly.

Daniel burst out laughing, "Lock the door this time, dude." He closed the door.

 _Dude?_ Ward blinked, alone in the bathroom once more. "Fuck." He locked the door and rinsed his mouth. _Normal is so fucking hard!_

–

Ward descended the stairs, fully clothed and dreading facing Eva. _The last eight hours have been far too eventful._ He turned the corner and took a deep breath before turning the next corner and entering the kitchen. Eva in a simple grey and red dress with a wide belt and leggings had her back to him, setting up the coffee machine while while Sofia stood beside her, adding cinnamon sticks to a separate beverage warmer full of cider. Jim and Penny were by the fridge, discussing how best to prepare the turkey. Daniel was leaning against the door and was the first to see Ward. He grinned, "Morning, Adonis."

Ward winced and almost raised a bird before Penny whipped around and rushed him.

"Ward! Eva told us what happened! Are you alright?" She reached up and turned his chin so she could better see the bruising. "Those little bastards never even went to the Harvest Hop before- they had no reason to be there now!"

Ward stepped back from the onslaught of attention and the obvious anger Penny displayed.

"And you can bet your ass that I called their moth-"

"Mom! Stop!" Eva cried, finally turning around. "They aren't kids anymore!" Her eyes reached Ward and her face reddened before she quickly turned away.

Sofia giggled and winked at Ward.

Ward glanced at Daniel who was looking down to hide his smile. _That bastard told Sofia._ Ward narrowed his eyes at Daniel. _Lots of assholes and bastards around here these days._

Penny was walking towards him again with a canister and he eyed her warily, "Sit down Ward, I have some bruise balm and you're too tall for me to reach easily. It looks angry, oh my goodness, that must have hurt."

 _Eh, not as bad as dad's punches._ "No, it's fine."Ward winced as she pushed and tugged him to sit in on a stool, "It's not that bad. No, wait, I'll just do it my-" but the older woman was already lightly dabbing the substance along his jaw with gentle fingers, which did admittedly feel nice and smelled spicy, but he was severely uncomfortable with having a near stranger **right there**. He rolled his eyes and stared at the wall, his hands fidgeting until she finished and stepped away muttering something about hellions that never grow up. He didn't let himself think about the last time someone mothered him, he could barely remember anyway. _Probably Danny's mom._

Ward went back to glaring at Daniel who was staring at the ground, shaking from not laughing at the scene. He had to stop though when Eva, face red, approached him and offered him a dark coffee, looking anywhere else but at him. He didn't blame her, he was having a hell of a time even glancing at her eyes before quickly looking elsewhere and thanking her for the coffee. It seemed to be entertainment for two of the other four people in the room, so he settled for giving Sofia and Daniel miserable glares whenever he caught them smirking at him.

Jim, Ward noticed, stayed fairly quiet and stared at nothing in particular though his eyes occasionally flickered to his eldest child with hints of concern before returning to a wall or the floor. He did look at Ward once, but the look was guarded and Ward wasn't sure what to expect from the man. He couldn't help but shift uncomfortably so he regained his position leaning back against the wall. The ladies- _including Daniel_ , kept talking as Eva began frying eggs and bacon, adding bread to the toaster. Penny setting out butter and fixing glasses of milk for the table.

Jim finally slid off his own stool and grabbed an orange from a basket in the corner and started for the door, catching Ward's eye as he went. "Come on, show me where my deviant girls put the bench this time." Jim left without waiting for an answer as Ward glanced once more at Eva who watched back from the corner of her eyes before focusing once more on her cooking.

Ward straightened and caught the door as it was closing, following Jim out with that familiar sense of dread in his stomach. Jim was already walking towards the path in the woods. _This place would be so ideal if our lives weren't so fucked up... He knows full well where the bench is._ Ward followed anyway, watching Jim's back as the man tossed bits of orange peal to the side until the clearing came into view and the older man settled on the bench, tapping the seat beside him. Ward eyed him warily before slowly approaching and sitting down as far to the side as he could.

Jim looked over at him for a few heartbeats before offering half the orange. _Would it offend him if I don't take it?_ Ward looked between him and the fruit before accepting the offered half and making himself eat a slice, trying to ignore his discomfort at the entire situation. _There's not a tactful way to get out now, I guess._

Jim leaned back as he popped his own orange slice into his mouth, looking out at the trees and nodding. "They did good this time. It's a nice view."

Ward nodded after hesitating, "It is," he agreed.

Silence returned broken by the few birds still this far north. Jim looked at Ward again, calculatingly, making Ward shift forward to the edge of the seat. Jim sighed, "So Eva told us her version of what happened. Basically you being the hero." Ward glanced over at him before looking back at the trees.

"I don't know what to say to that," he admitted.

Jim nodded slowly, still looking at him. "Well, you could start with telling me if you're a violent man." A heartbeat, Ward didn't look back at him. "I know that Eva told you her story. Regardless, you'd have to be stupid to miss it if you ran into those two from last night- and I know you're not stupid."

Ward watched a toasted brown leaf break from a dark branch in the distance thinking of sinking the knife into his father's stomach and the gun he keeps with him back in the city. "I'm not typically a violent man, no." He kept his voice low and even as he kept a view of Jim in his periphery.

Jim hummed and tugged leftover strings of white rind from his part of the orange. "Here's the thing, you've looked incredibly wary of everyone but Eva and Sofia since you got here. Even this morning with Penny- You've got the look of a kicked dog about you and kicked dogs have a habit of biting-"

Ward shifted, straightening his back and looking over, "What is it with your family and dog analogies?"

Jim smiled slightly, it wasn't a happy smile. "If the shoe fits..." Ward narrowed his eyes as Jim continued on. "I don't know your history, Ward." _Hell no, you don't._ "I have however seen how respectful you are to my family though and I can tell the girls like you. And they are intensely cautious these days- It breaks my heart that they have to be, but they are and I'm grateful for their care in choosing whom they spend their time with."

Ward waited for the proverbial other shoe to drop, his stomach aching from the tenseness of his body, sitting so close to another person.

"So if they like you," Jim carried on, carefully noting the agitation of the younger man, "and I haven't seen a reason for why they shouldn't, then I guess we're good." Jim leaned back against the bench again, looking off into the trees. "So you can stop looking like I'm going to kick you." He popped another slice into his mouth.

Ward winced, turning to look at the older man as he continued to take measured breaths, "What?"

Jim gave slight smile, this one not unhappy. "I just wanted you to know that we're good. Whatever has your hackles raised, you won't find it here." _What the hell is up with them and the dog references?_ Jim nodded, standing up. Ward mimicked the motion more tentatively. "So," Jim went on, "are **you** good?"

Ward stared back for a moment and nodded, accepting the outstretched hand for another handshake.

Jim grinned and Ward noted the resemblance to Eva's easy grins. "Great! Then lets go grab breakfast! I'm a starving, tired, feeble, old man and I need food." Jim turned and set off back down the path.

Ward hesitated before following, "You're not that feeble." He heard a low laugh from ahead of him and a weight eased on his shoulders.

Eva sent him and her father a questioning glance as she loaded plates with eggs, bacon, and toast which her mother carted off to the dining table. As they all filtered back to the food-laden table, Ward caught Eva from the corner of his eye giving her father a side hug. He couldn't hear what she asked, but Jim gave a reassuring smile before squeezing his daughter with the hug. She cast a glance at Ward, her eyebrow raised, but she made her way to her seat regardless.

He took the spot by her again and smiled nervously when she looked over at him again. The anxious smile was returned and the two ate in silence as everyone else bantered and discussed plans for the day. Which included cooking rotations. Since Eva and Ward made pies the day before, they got off with only having to prepare the sweet potatoes and Ward sighed in relief. He knows for certain he hasn't made any of the dishes before. _But this is potatoes. How hard can that be?_

When Daniel started telling Jim and Penny about why he was calling Ward "Adonis", Eva threw a piece of buttered toast at him and had her little sister laughing hysterically while Ward refused to react. Jim and Penny's shoulders quietly shook with laughter of their own and Ward could only give in, roll his eyes, and glare daggers at Daniel who just grinned back at him. _This is normal. It's fine._

After a few more minutes of conversation, the family broke for the morning, each couple going their separate ways. Sofia and Daniel heading back upstairs, and Jim and Penny leaving the house entirely for a walk. Eva lightly touched Ward's arm and quickly looked away when he faced her. "The sweet potatoes don't take long, but the kitchen will be crowded later. So let's prepare the pan now and we can bake it closer to dinner time." Ward nodded down at her and followed after. _Maybe we can talk after finishing the food._

She removed a multitude of ingredients from the cupboards and fridge until Ward asked what he could do to help. The two worked mostly in silence with Eva giving instructions every so often and correcting any small mistakes with a polite smile. Ward was miserable with how distant she had become over the course of the morning and as soon as they slid the pan into the fridge and finished the dishes, Ward asked what she'd like to do for fun. He didn't miss the way she glanced at the doorways in the kitchen and that tightness returned between his lungs.

She cleared her throat, "Well, I haven't gotten to go to the gardens in town yet. This late there probably aren't many flowers, but I like to see them when I come home." She looked at her feet.

Ward nodded. _That could be a good place to start._ "Alright," she didn't look at him, "do we have time to do that now?"

Finally she glanced up and nodded back at him, giving an uncomfortable smile. _Damn it. Now she's scared of me._ He swallowed his irritation at himself as she slipped her shoes on before giving him a small, coy smile. _Oh thank god, there's hope yet. "_ So," she looked at him with smiling eyes, "do I get to drive?"

Ward felt a slow smile break his face as he pulled his keys from his pocket, turning to the door. "I don't know. This short person drove my car the other day and messed up all of my seat settings." He stepped outside, hearing the huff of air as she frowned at him. She followed after, him holding the door for her and she reached for his hand as she passed. He became aware of that tightness again, only to give her a glare when she slipped the keys from his hand and smiled sweetly on her way by. Ward followed her to his car and slipped into the passenger side, sighing as she glided his driver's seat forward from where Jim must have set it. She smiled at him again, and he forgave her instantly. The ride would have been silent if Eva hadn't tuned the radio to an alternative rock station that had her nodding along to the music. Ward watched the trees pass by, leaning his head against the window. _This would be a good time to say something too._ He stayed quiet.

After a few minutes, the car came to a stop in a gravel lot and she got out. Ward blinked away the tiredness from his eyes and followed after her. It was a sunny day, with a fall chill and air that smelled of broken leaves and gravel. Eva didn't wait for him as she walked towards a hill with an old fashioned cottage sitting atop it, crowned with a thatch roof. Ward frowned at it. _This is an old place._ He trailed after Eva, looking at the beams placed in neat angles on the outside of the cottage's walls until he heard a giggle. His eyes drifted back to Eva, rosy cheeks and a genuine smile gracing her face. He ignored the picture she made in her fall dress, surrounded by the warm colors and blue sky.

Even so, he couldn't stop his answering smile, "What?"

Eva shook her head, "I'm pointing at all the flowers still in bloom despite the cold and you're staring at the funny house," she gave a whimsical sigh, "completely ignoring me."

Ward smiled more easily, looking back at it, "It's not a funny house. It's an Old English style cottage. And look at the thatched roof. That's rare these days. You'd have to find a specialist to put that on- and then to maintain it."

"Fine, don't argue that you're ignoring me." Eva smirked at him, "and I had no idea you were such a fan of Old English architecture, Mr. Meachum."

He turned a frown to her at her mock English and she raised her eyebrows at him innocently. The quiet dawned on them and Eva's cheeks reddened further and she turned away. _That would have been a great time to bring up last night. Fucking moron._ He continued to berate himself as he silently followed her along the stepping stone pathway around the house and up the hill behind it. Eva would stop randomly to view the late blooms and look at the colors of fallen petals. Ward trailed after patiently, taking in the colors that he doesn't often get in the city. She stepped through an opening in a wall of fading lilacs and came to an old fashioned well that Ward hadn't seen through all the shrubbery. Small arbors covered intimate benches a few feet away, but the woman went to the well and he followed the woman.

Eva dug in her purse for a moment before pulling out two quarters and offering him one with a nervous grin. He raised an eyebrow at her as he took it. "What? It's a wishing well. Much more fun than dusty, old, thatched roofs."

The corner of his lip perked up. _Okay, she's trying. That's a good sign._ He stepped up beside her, looking down into the dark well. _Now would be a good time too._ He hesitated when the memory of her on his lab resurfaced in his mind's eye. What the slope of her back felt like under his fingertips. The curve of her thigh in his hand. _Focus._ Eva leaned against the old stones and looked down the depths with a furrowed brow. After a moment, she smiled lightly and dropped the quarter, the plop of it's landing silent and distant. She turned to Ward expectantly only to find him staring at her. The smile turned anxious again and she picked at the fabric covering her elbows.

"What?" She turned her eyes to the trees and shrubs, leaning back against the well's walls.

Ward straightened, "We should probably talk... about last night." He winced, turning the quarter every which way in his hands. _I was never the eloquent one._ Visions of Joy charming endless business partners flashed through his head. _Stop it, this isn't work._ He refocused on Eva as she frowned, finally looking him in the eye.

She swallowed and shifted her weight to her other foot before nodding. "Okay," she began slowly. "So we were both drunk. And then you got up, took some pills, and I got up and helped you back to bed," she trailed off. "It's fine."

The tightness in his chest spasmed. "Eva-" he started but stumbled over what he should say next. _Never the eloquent one._ He tossed the quarter into the well. _I wish..._ He cleared his throat and cautiously stepped forward, reaching for her hand, encircling her cold fingers in his warmer hands. She looked from her hand to his face, her own going pale. "Eva," he started again, forcing his voice to stay calm. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I would never do that on purpose." Her eyes dropped to the well before looking at the benches, she tugged for him to follow her. He kept a light grip on her hand with one of his own, letting his second fall away as she chose a small, secluded bench and elegantly sat down. He took the seat opposite her in the small arbor and she kept her eyes on their joined hands.

She shook her head slightly. "You didn't scare me," she confessed quietly. "I was more worried by the pills than anything." Her second hand reached forward and trailed the veins on the back of his hand.

He took a deep breath in, watching her finger softly palpate the lines. "I don't quite remember everything very clearly," he admitted. "But I do remember..." He struggled again. _They're just words. Why do they have to be so hard?_ He cleared his throat and forced himself to look at her face. "I'm sorry I crossed a line. I know you aren't interest in..." This time he stopped at the look on her face as she raised her head and her body stilled, her eyes wide and lips slightly parted. He swallowed. The benches were not far apart at all and he was very aware of their knees brushing.

Her hand left his and lightly settled on his shoulder, pulling him forward. She leaned in and her lips grazed his. The tightness in his chest solidified as he twisted to ease the angles, grateful for the sudden silence in his mind. Her chapped-lip kiss became more certain, though she kept it soft. He reached for her waist and pulled her to him for the second time that morning. She slid on to his lap willingly, holding on to him for stability as his own hands settled once more on her legging-covered thigh and her lower back. They continued their slow kiss until Eva broke to drink in the air. Ward slid his hand further up her back, leaning her away so that he could once more trail his lips down her jaw, her neck. He abandoned kisses on her skin to start new ones further along her graceful neck and shoulder. He noted, reverently, the way her small chest was rising and falling more heavily as moved his lips back up to her own, never pressing too hard, but always relishing the feeling of her body on top of his. She twisted in his arms, straddling his lap with one foot planted on the ground as her hands held on to him. Eva deepened the kiss, her hand knotting itself in his hair and tugging his head back as she placed gentle kisses on his bruised jaw. His eyes dazedly took in the blue specks of sky shining through the wooden, vine covered arbor.

"I really like this garden." His voice was breathy and low and he could feel her lips turn up against his neck making him smile languidly at the sky as she slid her mouth up to nibble on his ear. He growled lightly at the pressure she had on him, he could feel how hard he was against his jeans, between her legs. His lower hand rubbed from her leg up to her ass, kneading it gently before trailing back down, his thumb ghosting her inner thigh. He was rewarded with her entire body shivering against him, her legs squeezing his own, instigating a throb that echoed through his body.

A terrible chiming sounded and they both froze, panting. Ward let out a low groan and tightened his arms around her. "Do you have to set alarms all the time?" _I_ _ **do not**_ _sound like Sofia right now._

Eva shrugged and squirmed in his arms, releasing his hair to dig her phone out from her purse to silence it. Ward leaned forward and buried his face once more in her shoulder, resting his head there as she returned the phone to her phone to her purse. He kept his hold on her, even as he felt her swallow. He could feel the uncertainty radiating off of her as much as he could feel the intimate warmth from her on his legs. _She wants this too._ But he waited, feeling her hands return to his back and shoulder, her cheek resting on his head. After that, they remained stationary, just holding the same position. Ward dared to ghost his thumb in circles on her inner thigh. "Do we need to be somewhere right now?" He felt her swallow.

"No." Eva's voice was quiet and small. She twisted in his lap again, this time to a more comfortable sitting position as she leaned her head down to his shoulder.

He hummed against her hair, "Then why the alarm?" He asked curiously.

She shrugged against him. "People are more willing to let me leave if my phone goes off. They think I need to be somewhere."

Ward hummed again, considering before she continued her explanation.

"I get uncomfortable in some crowds is all. Sometimes I need an excuse to get out."

Ward hummed quietly a third time, cocking his head to the side. _She set an alarm with me._ The tightness squeezed his lungs again and he eased his hold on her. "Are you? Are you uncomfortable with me?" He asked softly.

He felt her nod and he leaned back with anxiety until he saw the small smile she wore against his shoulder. "I would not call it a bad uncomfortable though." She confessed to his neck.

Ward tightened his grip on her again and nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat before smirking. "So do I have your permission for us to continue?" His mind already replaying the previous few minutes but his hands remained still against her body. He heard her hum by his ear before feeling her soft kiss on his neck again. Ward gave a content sigh, closing his eyes as her hand trailed to the collar of his leather coat, her second drifting down, a finger hooking in a belt loop on his pants. She trailed kisses up to his temple, before dipping back down and meeting his lips again. Ward tasted her tongue, in a slow, tender kiss. He slipped a hand under her dress, up to the curve of her back and felt her quake against him, her chest heaving once more. He drifted his second hand up and down her leg and trapped one of her lips between his teeth before deepening the kiss again.

She shifted in his lap and he moaned into her kiss at the movement against his hard cock. He opened his eyes a slit and witnessed a ghost of a smile on her lips. _You devil._ He retaliated, lightly scratching his nails up her spine causing her back to arch, he delighted in the gasp that flowed from her mouth to his. It fueled his desire and his grip tightened on her leg until he slipped his hand further up, feeling the heat pouring from between her legs. He finally heard her moan as thumb scraped against the fabric covering her. She shivered and he tightened his arm around her. They were slowly ravishing each others' necks again when a second terrible chime rang out.

Ward growled lightly planted his teeth on her skin, feeling the low moan from her chest until she blinked away her daze and reached for her phone a second time. Ward nuzzled her neck as she answered the phone. "What's up, Sofie?" Her voice was light and he could tell it took effort.

Ward snaked his hand to her front, his thumb circling her belly button. Eva leaned away and glared only to be met with a spiteful smirk. He leaned in and gave her jaw soft kisses.

"Why don't you just look on the cans? They have instructions for all sorts of dishes."

Ward could hear Sofia over the phone. _She sounded so frustrated when talking about food prep._ He smiled and nibbled Eva's ear, flicking the small stud earring with his tongue. She shifted in his lap again and he had to force himself to be quiet. _Touche, Eva._ He began to slip his hand further up to her chest when she frowned at the ground and stood up. The cold air attacked his lap where her warm body had been and his very skin bristled at the loss.

Ward followed as she walked back to the car. She was rolling her shoulders and rubbing her neck again. _She does that a lot, I should offer her a massage later. I don't remember if I've done that before either. I'm doing all sorts of new things this week._ He shoved his hands in his pockets as he trailed after the woman. His pants were uncomfortably tight still and he had to make an effort to think about something other than her on top of him. _How about underneath me?_ He swallowed and looked at the trees to get the fantasy of her writhing in pleasure out of his head. _When did I turn into a perv?_

His mind wandered to the last time he had gotten close to a woman. It was ages ago when he was still a nervous teenager in college. Even then, fear held his self-induced celibacy in check. Terror gripped him at the thought of getting a girl pregnant, terror at what his father would do. The fear of punishment or blackmail from Harold was too great for the second half of Ward's life as well. He was worried that anyone he became close to would be used against him. Joy was the only female influence he allowed himself. Joy was safe. But Joy and Harold were gone now. _Thrice over for dear, old dad. Incinerated. Gone._ Ward continued to mentally reassure himself that he was allowed some happiness in life now. Finally. _There we go, that's better._

He accepted his keys back from Eva when they returned to the car and climbed in, flicking their seat warmers on after turning the ignition. He listened to Eva tell her sister that they'd be home to help in about 15 minutes before she hung up.

Ward attempted to retrace the route they took to get to the garden. "So I can't tell," he started, "do you actually like cooking or do you just do it?"

Eva glanced over, her shy smile back. "I actually really hate cooking. Baking is okay. But cooking is just not fun for me."

Ward raised an eyebrow, "Why do you do so much of the cooking then? And what about the coffee shop? Do you not like that?"

Eva shifted in her seat and picked at her nails. "Sofia hates cooking more than I do, so I don't mind while we're home."

Ward's lip twitched as he looked over at her, "The things we do for our siblings."

Eva winced. "As for the coffee shop..." She gave a heavy sigh. "I actually wanted to be a nurse." She rested her elbow on the door, giving a wistful smile as she looked over at Ward's surprised face. "I always thought it would be amazing to work in Labor and Delivery or in the Mom and Baby units, but Keith didn't think it would be practical. That I would be too tired to help out at home and at his shop." She ended with a frown and it was Ward's turn to wince. _I didn't even think that the coffee shop was Keith's idea._ "What about you? Did you always want to be a fancy businessman?"

Ward barked a laugh, "Ah, no. I really am a fan of Old English architecture." Eva let out a giggle. "Honestly though," he continued with a timid smile, "I studied architecture and if I didn't have to take my father's company all those years ago, I would have probably started my own firm." He heard her hum and glanced over to see her facing him in her seat, smiling. _This is much better than the drive over._ "What?"

Eva shook her head, still smiling. "Nothing, I just bet you'd be good at it."

Ward fought the slow smile on his mouth before glancing at her again, "Of course, I'm good at a lot of things."

A blush joined her smile and she turned to look out the window, but not before saying a quiet "I bet." Silence settled once more, only broken by Eva's supply of directions until she frowned and looked over again. "So how was your walk with dad?"

He cleared his throat, watching the road. "Well he asked if I have violent tendencies."

He didn't see the wince in Eva's eyes. "I told him you were fine."

Ward rolled his eyes as he pulled in to the driveway, "You're his daughter. I imagine that after everything, he will never think anyone could be good enough to you."

Eva giggled, "It probably doesn't help that you KO-ed John last night."

She was rewarded with a glare. "So last night wasn't my finest, sue me."

"Nah, you probably have all the good lawyers in your pocket." She slid out of the car and didn't wait for Ward before starting for the house. He sighed turning off the engine and followed after.

The kitchen was crowded while everyone was trying to cook. Mixing bowls were scattered everywhere. Utensils lay, half forgotten on counter tops. And bickering reigned within the air. The first thing Eva did on entry was kick her sister and Daniel out and suggest that Ward sits on a stool and not lift a finger.

"You already helped with pies and sweet potatoes. You don't do any more work." Her eyes were stern so he acquiesced to her demands and watched her take over where they left off.

Minutes later, Daniel tip toed into the kitchen and grabbed an armful of beers from the fridge, motioning for Ward to follow. Ward glanced at Eva's back, the corner of his lips tugging up before he slipped away to follow the younger man. Daniel grinned at him in the next room. "We're going to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog. Join us!"

Ward furrowed his brow, "We're watching what?"

Daniel took his arm and guided him to the living room, "Don't worry, it's gonna be great!" He handed Ward a beer and settled next to Sofia on the couch. Ward glanced at the television and raised an eyebrow, taking in the chaotic menu screen. _Why not?_

"Okay..." he sat in the corner recliner as Sofia giggled and pressed play.

Half an hour later, he acknowledged his sympathy for Dr. Horrible and the fact that he enjoyed the movie a great deal, for a musical. A quarter of an hour after that, he was miserable. "Why would you show that to anyone?"

Daniel laughed, his grin from before permanently frozen on his face.

Sofia mimicked her boyfriend's expression. "Come on! It's a great, roller coaster of a movie! Admit it, you loved it!"

Ward sucked in a deep breath, shaking his head and feeling the anxiety showing through his eyes before he clamped back down on it and forced a bitter smile. "She was the worst character to kill off." He took a swig of the cheap beer.

"That's the point," Sofia's smile softened, eyes narrowing. "It get's ya right in the feels!"

Ward frowned at her, "My... feels should be left alone."

She giggled, standing up and wandering off towards the kitchen.

Ward and Daniel stood up, forever following where the women seemed to lead.

The kitchen was a much calmer place than before. Jim, Penny, and Eva sat on stools around the island counter, playing cards and talking quietly. The scent of melted butter and baked turkey filling the air and mingling with the coffee setting before the woman and her parents.

Penny smiled at the newcomers, "It'll all be ready once I beat these shoddy card players." Jim winced, glancing at the score card. Eva let a coy smile slip onto her face as her eyes traveled to her mother.

Ward smirked, "If that's your poker face, Eva, never go to a casino."

She gave an easy grin that fell the instant her mother laid her whole hand down. "No! I thought you weren't keeping fives!"

Penny gave a smirk of her own, her voice smug. "Ah, little kitten, you still have so much to learn."

Ward's smirk widened at the pet name, tucking it away in his mind to taunt her with later even as Eva's shoulders slumped at her loss.

Jim set his cards down with a sigh, "All hail Penny, ruler of the house."

A grumbled "Hail" fell from Eva's lips as she rested her head on the counter.

Penny practically preened with the begrudged praise before standing and peaking into the oven.

The next few minutes were a whirlwind of activity as food was placed on the dining table and drinks were prepared. Ward took the job of setting the table, figuring he could help with something.

Soon they were all seated in their usual spots, candles lit in the center of the table, feast laid out before them, and everyone waiting with baited breath for someone to start. Jim and Penny folded their hands and closed their eyes, Sofia and Daniel following after. Ward looked to Eva. _Are they praying?_ He got his answer as Penny began a prayer that he was certain was memorized. Eva stared down at her plate, respectful, but not partaking. Ward followed her example, but frowned when Penny added a less rehearsed bit at the end, thanking god for the safe travels and presence of the four younger adults and requesting good fortune for each of them. _I wonder if anyone's prayed for me before._ Ward glanced back at Eva from the corner of his eye. _It doesn't seem to have worked for her._ His voice in his head sounded bitter for a moment. _Then again, Keith's gone now._ His frown deepened. _Not that I'm an improvement. At least I don't hurt her though._

The prayer ended and Daniel loudly exclaimed for them to dig in before he started piling food on his plate with Sofia taking the ladles and scoops from him as he passed the dishes off. Ward took small portions of each, frowning as his plate became covered with all the different foods. _I think all my other Thanksgivings were at banquets with Joy? I wonder where she's at._ He felt a hand brush against his own under the table and looked over at Eva. She had questions in her eyes as she gave a tentative smile. He forced his frown away and briefly smiled back before picking up his fork and tasting the food. It was all delicious. The two listened to Daniel and Sofia's never ending banter and laughed at the sly comments Penny and Jim slipped in.

Half an hour later, they were finally slowing down. Ward sat back, tired and miserable after eating too much. _Ha, when was the last time I did that?_ A moment of silence drifted into the room as everyone leaned back in their seats.

Eva looked across the table at her sister and Daniel smiling deviously. "Since you two wimped out at your cooking, I think it's only fair that you clear the table and put away left overs."

Sofia glared back fiercely, even as Daniel puffed out a breath and agreed with a morose voice and stood up, already starting.

Jim sighed as well, "I think I need a food coma. Wake me up if anything interesting happens." He glanced at his wife as she yawned.

"Right there with you, honey." The two stood up and disappeared into the master bedroom through a hallway in the living room.

Ward looked at Eva as her hand covered a yawn threatening to split her face. "Yeah," she drew the word out, "sleep." She rested a hand on Ward's shoulder briefly. "I'm going to nap for about an hour, you do whatever. Have fun." She paused in her wandering to the stairs before turning back to him. "Do you think..." He patiently gazed back at her waiting for her to get it out. "Do you suppose, you should maybe try calling your sister today?" She back peddled at the way his lips tightened at the suggestion. "Or maybe just a text? To let her know you're thinking of her?" He shifted his gaze to the window, the frown deepening. "Just a thought," she inched closer to the stairs. "I'll see you later." And like that, she was gone.

Ward mentally berated himself for not verbally responding. For not at least trying to communicate his fear of hearing the disappointment and hate in Joy's voice.

Daniel sauntered in, stretching before picking up more plates. "Scare everyone way, Adonis?"

Ward ignored the jab. "Looks that way," he mumbled before standing and picking up his and Eva's plates and following Daniel back into the kitchen. Once the three of them finished clearing the table and putting the leftovers away, Ward claimed his seat at the kitchen island once more. The couple tag teamed the dishes, loading the washer before setting on the pots and pans in the sink. The two conversed easily and poked fun at Ward every chance they got, usually getting nothing but a glare back with the rare back talk thrown in. The two just laughed when Ward flipped Daniel off for a less than appropriate comment regarding Ward and Eva.

As the last of the pots and pans sat drying, Sofia took Daniel's hand. "I think I should show you that bench from earlier." Her tone was suggestive of many more things and Daniel's face grew a slow grin as he looked down at his girlfriend. Sofia turned to Ward, "And I think you should follow everyone else's example and take a nap. Ya look tired as all hell."

Ward frowned at her, "I think Hell is probably a very productive place."

Daniel snorted a laugh while Sofia just shook her head at Ward, a softness entering her eyes as she looked at him. "You need sleep, my friend. Take it while you can." She took Daniel's hand and dragged him out the kitchen door, both waving to Ward as they left.

Ward stared at the table for a moment, uncomfortable with the sudden silence within the foreign house. He slipped his phone from his pocket and pulled his sister's contact information up, staring at her name before turning off the screen and returning it to his pocket. Ward slid off the stool and slowly trudged up the stairs to his doorway before pausing and looking at the door to Eva's room. He leaned against his door frame. _Would she turn me away if I knock?_ He shook his head and entered his own room, shutting the door gently and kicking his shoes off before flopping on to the quilt-covered bed and dragging his phone out once more to stare at his sister's name. He swallowed his pride and opened a message box to her. " _Miss you this Thanksgiving. Hope you're safe."_ He stared at the words on the screen until the lost their shapes and he pressed send. _There, it's done. Can't take it back now. No use in worrying over it._ Ward set the phone on the bedside table and eyed the pill bottle for only a second before rolling away from it and shutting his eyes. _Sleep wouldn't hurt. I'll get up in an hour. Maybe Joy will have responded._ He didn't hold much hope for that.

When Ward next opened his eyes, his head felt groggy and he could barely register the laughter floating up from the floor below. Stretching, he picked up his phone and turned the screen on. It was after 3 pm. He sat up straight. _Fuck, I slept for 3 hours?_ He slid out of bed, ignoring his disappointment at the lack of the text notification on his phone before going to the bathroom and quickly brushing his teeth. On the way down the stairs, he became slightly more aware and noted a male voice he didn't recognize coupled with Eva's now carefree laughing. Ward turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs and quietly slipped into the dining room before crossing to the living room.

There were four people on the wide, three cushioned couch. Eva on one end, tucked under the arm of a newcomer, Daniel on the other end, arm-in-arm with the unknown man, and Sofia, head resting on Daniel's lap with her body stretched across everyone. They all had game controllers and were intent on the television screen, wine glasses sitting on the low coffee table in front of them. It was a haphazard mess of apparent comfort between the four of them.

Ward leaned against the entry way wall, not yet noticed as he eyed the man and the way he had an arm wrapped loosely around Eva. He noted the way she leaned into him, smiling victoriously at the cartoon racing game and the tightness in Ward's chest pulsated.

"Sleeping beauty!" Daniel was the first to see Ward. _Oh god, not him too._

The other three looked at the entry way into the living room. Smiling faces all greeted him and he shifted his feet, trying not to stare at the closeness between Eva and the mystery man.

The mystery man detached himself from Eva and Daniel and promptly shoved Sofia to the floor. "Oh wow! Look at that bruise!" The man stood up and lithely stepped over a disgruntled Sofia as she crawled back up to Daniel's lap. "You must be Eva's knight in shining armor from last night!" He quickly covered the distance between himself and Ward, who straightened his shoulders at the advance. "Come here! Let me give you a hug for saving my little baby while I was MIA!" Ward stepped back half a step but the man threw his arms around him and squeezed before holding him at arms length. Ward blinked back at him, frowning as the man smiled. "I see why Daniel calls you Adonis," he wriggled his eyebrows at Ward as Ward reached up and slowly removed the hands from his shoulders, taking in the man's messy dark hair and sparkling green eyes. "He also tells me that you're a vision shirtless." Ward takes another step away from the happy man. "I'm Tom, by the way," he smiles, looking Ward up and down before nodding. "And we should all definitely go swimming." Ward briefly notes Daniel chuckling in the background with Sofia mumbling about wanting to see Ward shirtless. He glances at Eva as she fights back a smile and avoids eye contact.

Ward forces his shoulders to relax. "Pleasure to meet you, Tom. Ward Meachum." He offers his hand for a shake only for Tom to grin and grab it before dragging him towards the couch. _This is not my element. Just breathe._ Tom deposits Ward on the edge of the couch by Eva before he crashes down once more between Eva and Daniel. Sofia squirms until she is once more sprawled across everyone's lap, her painted toes resting on Ward's knees.

She tossed her controller on to his lap. "I lost, you get to play."

Eva giggled and leaned over to Ward, explaining the game and controls before he can refuse. He drinks in the scent of her as she is crushed to his side by lack of space alone and he barely registers her instructions. He picks a small, green dinosaur character and randomly selects vehicles as Daniel and Tom talk smack to each other with suggestive undertones. Eva leans against him once more, whispering "Tom is a friend from middle school," she smiles. "He will hit on you mercilessly, beware. But he's probably the most reliable person we know."

She wasn't quiet enough, "Yeah, I'm reliable for a guy who ditches his own house on Thanksgiving to get away from his mother-in-law, stealing his own kids' Wii in the process. Super reliable." His sarcasm was thick, but disappeared for his next statement. "I will hit on you though. But who wouldn't? You're a very pretty man!"

Ward winces as numbers flash a countdown on the screen. He looks at Eva, "Pretty?"

She giggles and the race begins.

Ward hasn't played many video games growing up, but he's a quick learner and gives up on winning the race in favor of knocking others off the road and into obstacles. He still comes in third with Eva shaking against his side from laughing so hard.

Sofia leans across everyone, snatching his controller away. "You are not to be trusted in video games either! No games for you!"

He only smirks back at her until Daniel hands him his own controller, which elicits a vicious grin directed at Sofia.

Daniel laughs, "There we go! All we have to do to get Ward to smile is let him sabotage us all in Mario Kart!"

"Oh no," Sofia interjects fiercely, "he won't get a chance this round!" Her eyes meet Ward's from across the couch as she shifts to sit on her lover's lap. "I'm taking you down!"

Tom whistles between them all, "Them be fightin' words!"

Eva snakes her arm around Ward's elbow, easing the squeeze in his chest until he watches her do the same thing with Tom. She holds her controller before her with intensity and Ward rips his eyes away, back to the screen.

They play three more rounds, trading off controllers regularly until Tom leans back and sighs, resting his hands on Daniel and Eva's thighs. "I should probably go home. The Nazis are probably finished being Nazis by now."

Eva smiled gently, taking Tom's hand in her own. "Come on, Kristy's mom isn't that bad. She's so sweet."

Tom's face turns haunted, "No. No, she isn't." He leans his head on Eva's shoulder, face full of sorrow. "She's a creature from hell. I don't know how she and Kristy are related in the first place, but I'm sticking to my theory that the woman stole her as a baby as payment for a dark deal some petty mortal made with her."

Sofia snorted into her wine glass, "Does that make you this story's Prince Charming?"

Tom brushed his fingers across her face, "Come on, I make Prince Charming look like a street rat and you know it." He winked at the younger sister.

Eva giggled, "It's a testament to your loyalty and Kristy's trust in you that she ever lets you leave the house alone."

Tom stands up quickly, striking a heroic pose. "It's a curse to be this loved." He puffs out his chest before sighing dramatically. "K, gimme all the controllers, I really probably have to get home before the witch sends out her flying monkeys to hunt me down. I'm too pretty to die and you're all too pretty to watch it happen." Tom snatches away Ward's controller, "Especially you, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome."

Eva giggles into her hand as Ward frowns up at Tom.

Daniel gently scoots Sofia off of him before helping Tom unhook the console and wrap the cords up, depositing them in to a back pack.

All packed up and ready to leave, Tom scooped Sofia and Eva into his arms, hugging them tightly and planting kisses on top of their heads before resting his face on Eva's head. "Come visit us before you leave. Both of you." He squeezed them again as they each buried themselves against his flannel shirt. "Kristy misses you. And the kids do too. Me too, kinda." The girls gave soft snorts of laughter. "I love you both dearly." He planted another kiss on each head before releasing them. "Come visit. Tomorrow maybe. Or the next day. Or both." He nodded at them before enveloping Daniel in a looser hug.

Ward stuck to the sidelines and tensed as Tom inevitably approached him. _Why does he have to be a fucking hugger?_ Tom caught Ward in a loose hug angling his face to whisper into Ward's ear, "You hurt my Eva, I will skin you alive and make you eat it." The two men secretly glared at one another before Tom turned to the others, smile effortlessly falling back into place as he pat Ward on the shoulder. "Alright, see y'all later. Be safe!" His hands formed peace signs as he stepped out the door leaving the others smiling after him. Ward frowned before smirking over at Eva. _Well she definitely has a security system in place. That's good, I guess._

For the rest of the evening, they grazed on leftovers and played a plethora of board games. Ward winning the Stratego tournament with ease and losing miserably in Dominoes. _I've played more games in the last 24 hours than I have in the last..._ He didn't bother counting the years.

After wine and a day full of food, the house quieted down once more and the couples each drifted off to bed.

Eva smiled to Ward as he left the bathroom, teeth freshly brushed and ready for bed. She slipped passed him and closed the door. He went to his room and changed for bed, the sweat pants and black t-shirt shirt cool on his skin. Sitting on his bed, he looked to his closed door and waited, wondering if, hoping she would join him again. He left his light on as he leaned back on the bed, listening to the sounds in the house, the wind against the walls. He heard the shower turn off in the bathroom, and minutes later, he listened as the bathroom door opened and light footsteps sounded down the carpeted hall. He breathed his disappointment out when he heard Eva's bedroom door open and close. Laying still a few moments, he sighed. _Well she was kind of drunk and miserable last night. So what if she doesn't need company tonight. It's fine._ He sighed again and got up to shut out the light before returning to bed and closing his eyes. He replayed the events of the day, reflecting on things he could have done differently or could have said. He ended up reflecting a lot on the morning in the garden, smiling to himself as he thought of the sound of her breaths against his skin, his mouth, his ear- the feel of her legs spread around his hips and the wet heat radiating off of her. _Maybe I should knock on her door..._

A pit of need formed in his abdomen and he forced it away, still focusing on the memory of her lips on him and the view of the blue sky speckling through vines and leaves as she explored his skin. The ghost of a smile haunted his lips as he fell asleep. So wrapped up in his daydreams as he was, he didn't once consider preparing himself for his regular nightmares. He only woke once that night.


	9. Cahootery

**Hey, apologies for taking forever. Uhg, holidays. Also, I had trouble writing this update. The first draft didn't save, rough life. The second copy was just... I didn't know how to write it.**

 **Anyhow, WARNING! EXPLICIT MATERIAL AHEAD!**

 **Also, I am a medical professional and this random thought has been haunting me. I do believe I mentioned the muscle relaxant Ward had in a previous chapter and I called it Valium while using the improper generic name Lorazepam... Which is actually Ativan... It should have said Diazepam. So this may not matter to any of you, but I feel like I failed my own standards. So what the fuck was I thinking? How foolish! I know this terminology! I could fix it, but I'm lazy right now. So maybe later. Please forgive my stupid mistake. And the typos. OH MY GOD, ALL MY TYPOS!**

 **Why is my life a mess?**

Eva blinked her eyes open, adjusting them to the bright halo surrounding her dark curtains. Smothering a yawn with her blankets, she curled into herself and mentally prepared herself for another day. She gently pushed the covers back, careful not to bend the pages of the book sitting open next to her on the bed. Checking her phone, she winced. _11:03? Yikes._ She slid out of bed. _Alright. Let's just get through the motions, and then I can worry about facing everyone after wasting half a day in bed._

 _Go to the bathroom. Brush teeth. Wash face. Light makeup. Earrings in. Deviant hair managed. Attempt a smile in the mirror. Lingerie, matching or do I not care? Get dressed_ \- she paused, her sheer, lightly blue scarf tangled in her fingers as she looked in the full length mirror. _His lips were there._ A tiny vacuum developed inside her lungs and she shifted her feet, lowering her scarf. _Okay. Fine. So what if I liked it?_ She took in the sight of herself in jeans and a dark sweater with a wide collar. Reaching up, she trailed a finger along her collar bone. _He rested against me there twice now..._ She looked down at her scarf before looking back at the mirror. It was a habit she hadn't gotten out of yet, a habit she picked up toward the end with Keith. There were no bruises or burns, no petechiae or scabbing, but she still felt her tender skin was too naked, too exposed.

With a scowl at the mirror she wrapped the scarf around her throat, letting the ends drape as she walked out her bedroom door.

Slipping quietly into the kitchen, she noted the quietness of the house. Only her mother sat at the island counter, her laptop and papers in front of her.

"Morning, mom." Eva planted a light kiss on her mother's cheek before going to the cupboard and preparing a bowl of cereal. "Where is everyone today?"

Penny didn't look up from the screen. "Hmm, your dad, Daniel, and Sofia went into town to dawdle about and maybe go to a matinee. Ward sequestered himself away in the living room behind a newspaper." She tapped the enter button and leaned back to look at her daughter. "And you and I are right here."

Eva smiled lightly as she sat down next to her mother. "What movie and why wasn't I invited?" She asked around her spoon.

Her mother smirked, "You slept through your invitation. I think they were talking about Murder on the Orient Express though."

Eva hummed acknowledgment, devouring her breakfast.

Penny continued, "So if you and Ward **do** want to go, you'd best get a move on. I think the showings start a little after noon. I'm going, I just had to finish up some grading quick." She continued to watch her daughter gracelessly drink the milk from the bowl. "You slept very late today. Are those nightmares still bothering you?" Her tone was quiet as Eva's eyes didn't meet her own. Her daughter shrugged.

"They come and go these days," Eva said softly, sliding from her chair and rinsing her bowl at the sink. Turning back to face her mother, Eva straightened her shoulders and smiled. "Reading still helps. I think I went through half a novel last night." Her mother hummed though the hint of worry refused to leave her eyes. _One must soldier on, I guess?_ "I'll go see if Ward was wanting to see that movie."

Eva padded from the kitchen to the living room, finding Ward in the recliner, sipping from a coffee mug with today's paper spread before him. _How domestic._ "Gross, I thought we were making progress with getting you away from newspapers." She flopped on to the couch in the seat nearest to him.

Ward looked up, with a twitch at the corner of his mouth as he folded the paper and set it aside. "Someone has to keep up with the times." He cocked his head to the side as she rolled her shoulders back, rubbing the base of her neck, "Feeling okay?"

Eva frowned back at him for a heartbeat. "Yeah, I'm fine. So anyway, I guess everyone is wanting to go to a movie. Want to see Murder on the Orient Express?"

His barely there smile faltered before turning into a smirk. "You said you didn't want to go to the movie."

"What?" She blinked owlishly back at him. "When?"

The smirk gained strength on his lips. "I don't know, around 8:30, I think. When Sofia made me go up to ask if you wanted to go to the movie."

Eva gazed back at him sightlessly. _Thank god I was cold last night and decided to wear pajamas._ "I do not remember that."

She watched his eyes soften before his smirk reached them once more. "Yeah, turns out you sleep like the dead." He stood up from the chair as she continued to frown at him. "It also turns out that you're kind of mean in the mornings too. Now I know why Sofia had sent me instead of going herself." He looked to the wall, the picture of abused innocence.

Eva grimaced and picked up the remote before chucking it at him.

Ward sidestepped and watched with disinterest as the controller hit the recliner and slid to the floor. He blindly reached over to the side table and picked up his mug before offering it to Eva. "You're withdrawals are showing and I think you need this more than I do."

 _Bastard._ She continued her glare, even as she accepted the mug from him. _His lips were here too- stop it, mind. You sound like a doe-eyed brat._ He sat next to her on the couch and she breathed in the scent of coffee and the crisp spice scent that she came to associate with him before she took a small sip of the plain, black coffee. "I wasn't mean," she said with certainty that she didn't feel. He turned his head away, but she saw the smile first.

"Well you certainly weren't nice. I don't even know what some of those words were."

Eva snorted, trying not to choke on the hot liquid. She cleared her throat and pulled her feet under her, rearranging herself to lean back against the arm rest and face him, even as he refused to meet her eye. "Well, not all of us dead people have comfy afterlife beds, so you can't blame me for my poor night's rest." She mentally pat herself on the back as Ward finally turned to her only to roll his eyes. "Anyway, do you want to go to the movie or no? Or is there something else you'd like to do today? It's Black Friday. We could go shopping. Or we can go to my favorite coffee shop. Or I don't know, bowling."

Ward grimaced at the last suggestion.

 _No to bowling then._

A slight smile returned to his eyes quickly though as he glanced at her, "You aren't suggesting we go back to the gardens."

She freezes with the lip of the cup resting against her mouth. _Was that a request or a suggestion or a question?_ She cleared her throat again before smirking back at him. "What? Did you finally think of a wish for that quarter or do you just want to admire the Old English architecture again?"

He shifted to look at her more easily, a lazy curve on his lips. "It would be more fun than bowling."

Eva was quick to reply, "Ah, but would it be more fun than a movie?"

He winced and leaned back into the couch. "Ouch. Careful, if you keep that up, you're mom is going to want to attack me with her bruise balm again. Which she did by the way. This morning. Again."

Eva giggled into her mug. _I'm not sorry._ "Some people are just so whiny."

He scoffed and silently watched her rub her neck again.

"So I do actually need to do Christmas shopping and Black Friday would be the time to do it." Eva noted his wince when she mentioned Christmas. "So, you can do whatever you'd like. Go to a movie, stay here, join me..." She trailed off awkwardly as he nodded at nothing.

"Yeah, I think I'll take space from the masses today and go with you before I toss Daniel into your father's wood chipper."

"Don't even," she shook her head at him. "We all know he's your favorite." She stood up and took her coffee cup to the kitchen, not even looking to see if he followed, which he did.

Entering the room, they found Penny slipping her shoes on. "Hey kiddos, did you decide to go to the movie? If so we can ride together."

"Nah, we're going to take care of Christmas shopping today." Eva replied, enjoying the slight scowl on Ward's face at her mother's phrasing.

Penny straightened back up in her chair, "Oh, how practically practical of you, Eva. Say, I saw a really pretty necklace with turquoise insets at the Blue Rose Antique Shop the other day that if Sofia doesn't want, I would be willing to accept as a Christmas present."

Eva smiled at her mother knowingly. "I'll find it for you."

"K," her mother stood up and hugged Eva, "you two be safe." She moved her hug to Ward who awkwardly returned it before Penny slid away. "People are crazy, so watch out for each other." She leveled a look at Eva before turning to the door and waving as she left.

Ward looked down at Eva, "Your mom's weird."

"My mom's awesome." She met his eyes fiercely before grinning. She broke eye contact first, grabbing her shoes and taking a seat to put them on.

Ward waited patiently, looking at the pictures on the wall by the door, "Do you want me to grab your jacket for you quick?"

She smiled at her laces, "No, I'll just steal your coat later." She caught the amused glare he turned her way in the corner of her eye. "Besides," she added, standing and moving for the door, "my jacket's not heavy enough to wear to the gardens today so it'll have to be yours." _Don't look back, don't look back._ She heard an exhale that may have been a laugh as she stepped outside and moved to the passenger side door of Ward's car.

The early afternoon went quick and the two found themselves in a small coffee shop with rough wooden tables crowned with lone jars holding flowers. A fireplace sizzled to the side and local artists had paintings and photos displayed on the walls. Eva sighed in contentment as she sipped her chai, moving from picture to picture along the walls, pausing at a winter scene with soft lights reflecting on falling snow. She smiled at it.

Ward skipped a lot of the artwork as he waited for his caffeine, favoring the pieces without human subjects. This is how they ended up on opposite sides of the room.

Eva tore her eyes from a chaotic painting just in time to see a barista approach Ward. She turned back to the painting. _Never understood the abstracts._ She moved on to the next picture, glancing back again to see if he was ready to pick a seat but the barista was still there. Eva took a sip of her drink as she watched the young woman push her hair back and speak to Ward who smiled politely down to her with guarded eyes.

The woman placed a hand lightly on his arm, reaching with the other to touch the bruise on his jaw. He stepped back, shaking his head and saying something as he gently removed her hands. The barista lightly captured his free hand with a smile and started writing on it. Ward finally looked across the room, catching Eva's eye, his own slightly frustrated. She smiled into her cup, ignoring the relief she felt. _Who knew the god of business was so easily flustered._ She slowly wandered over, taking her sweet time. The barista finally said goodbye to Ward, looking him up and down and smiling suggestively until she turned and sashayed away. Eva slid into a chair at a table nearby.

Ward quickly joined her, rubbing at the ink on the back of his hand. "You really couldn't have bothered to come over and interrupt, could you?"

She smiled at him over the lid of her cup, "You looked like you had it under control."

Ward frowned at her before glancing at the register counter. "I thought such sharks only existed in fundraiser waters." He shivered at the thought of Mrs. Delor and glared when he saw Eva's shoulders shaking from quiet laughter.

"Oh, so that's something you deal with a lot then." The laughter was still in her eyes. _Of course he would_ , _I mean really._ _He's got manners, looks, smarts, money. The guy's a catch. What is he even doing with me?_

He was frowning at the table. "Joy used to help me avoid them all at the miserable fundraisers she'd talk me in to going to." He shifted in his seat and gave a heavy sigh. "She was always the one who excelled with the whole people-ing thing. I'm really dreading the Christmas events this year." He slouched his shoulders, staring off at the walls.

Eva cocked her head to the side. "Wait, why do you hate these parties? With their supposedly tasty food? And their open bars? And their outrageous, fancy decorations? And the live music to dance to?" Her smile grew with each question.

Ward sat up, rolling his eyes and taking a sip of his coffee. "It's pretty much solely the people. I thought I wouldn't have to go anymore since dad and Joy are the ones who always made me, but then Megan started in with the 'Oh you need to be seen in public more bullshit. Rand needs a social presence, blah.'"

"Ha! Well smuggle me in and we can make fun of everyone together- and dance." She grinned across the table at him as he looked at her in surprise. "Come on, I could be your plus one, hang off your arm and deter the dittering sharks from your chum."

He winced at 'chum' but leaned back in his seat, spinning his cup on the table. "Actually, that wouldn't be bad if you would really like to go."

Eva felt her smile falter. _He wasn't supposed to agree._ She picked at a string on her sweater. _However, I didn't even know I wanted this._ The vacuum returned and it was her turn to shift in her seat as he leaned forward expectantly. "Ah, well, to be honest, I was kidding. Those things are super expensive and a bit out of my budget."

He cocked his head to the side before shaking it. "I can take care of it. It's not even an issue."

She frowned back at him. "I would not be able to pay you back." She watched as his shoulders relaxed. _I can never tell what he's thinking._

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect you to. What kind of shit invitation would that be? When we get back, I'll check the schedule and have Megan add you to the lists as my date."

 _Date? I guess I would be his date. Wait, lists? As in plural?_

He was furrowing his brow at the table as he said all this, completely missing Eva's shocked expression. Finally he looked back up at her with the first excited smile she had ever seen on his face, even if it was still diluted with uncertainty. "It may actually be bearable just to see Delor's face when she realizes I'm not there alone."

Her laugh brought her out of her shock, "Change the subject quickly before I chicken out."

Ward smirked, "If I have to suffer, you can suffer with me. And once Kay and Sofia know you agreed to go, you know they won't let you back out."

Eva paled. _Monster._

His smirk widened, "So, where to next?"

Eva slouched into her chair. "We still have to get mom her necklace." She gave a weary sigh. "Let's go. And you're too mean to Megan. You'd better be getting her a Christmas present."

Ward rolled his eyes, stepping out of his chair. "She can have a holiday bonus."

Eva fidgeted with her cup as she followed after him before begrudgingly mumbling, "And a present."

He turned to smirk back at her as he lead them back to his car.

Ward and Eva stood in front of the display case in the musty little shop. They were both irritated at the sheer volume of turquoise necklaces in the display. Ward took a deep breath before looking down at Eva. "Do you ever wear necklaces or do you always wear scarves?"

She felt him toy with the end hanging down her back, she ignored it. Eva kept her eyes on the jewelry in front of her, trying not to look at a delicate silver crescent moon necklace with a gold filigree inlay and the small, matching star earrings. She let a breath pass before responding. "Scarves." She heard Ward hum a disinterested acknowledgment before he wandered off. She let out a deep sigh and crossed her arms, rolling her shoulders. _It's got to be one of these... She already has a necklace like this, so it wouldn't be that one. Unless she really likes the style, in which case, she might want something similar and it could be that one..._

She swallowed another sigh and turned around, looking for Ward. He was much further down the row talking to one of the older sales associates. _Hm, for all his complaining about sucking at socializing, he sure does a lot of it._ She turned back to the display and took out her phone to call her mother.

Penny answered happily on the fourth ring, " _Hey kitten_."

"Mom, I need you to be more specific about the necklace I am totally not trying to find for Sofia."

A chuckle came through the line before her mother started giving her more clues. After finally figuring out which necklace it was, Eva glanced to where Ward was standing still talking to the employee. She pointed to her phone when he looked over and he waved her on.

"So mom, I think I may have made a mistake," she began conversationally, keeping the anxiety in her voice to a bare minimum as she stepped outside.

" _Oh? Accidentally steal a dog again?"_

Eva smiled, "No, no. I don't know. Ward and I were talking about the fundraisers he always has to go to for work. I guess he really hates them. But we were talking about them and somehow I ended up set to be his- his date for this winter's parties..." She waited for her mother's infinite wisdom.

" _I don't see the problem, Eva. Where's the mistake?"_

She balked and listened as a male voice filtered in over the line before hearing the phone get jostled.

" _Hey Evie."_

She smiled and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Hey daddy."

" _What's the problem?"_

 _Here we go, dad'll know what to do. "_ I am somehow lined up to be Ward's date to this winter's fundraisers in the city and I'm panicking."

Silence greeted her for a moment. _"Shoot, I agree with your mother. What's wrong with that? Or do you not want to go with him? 'Cause you can back out."_

She could hear the anxiety in his last question. "No, yes, I do want to go. With him. But, I don't know. Is that a good idea? And it's a lot of money. And I don't have a dress of that caliber. And even he hates going to the-"

" _I bet he'll like 'em a lot better with you there. As for the dress, that's an easy fix. Go shopping... Those gigs are typically a lot of money though..."_

She hesitated and sat down on a bench outside the shop, "He said he'd cover it since it would be a poor invitation if he-"

 _"_ _Well there you go, the guy's got money, you may as well use it."_

 _"_ Dad!"

 _"_ _Really, you have nothing to worry about in this situation. You like the guy and you always liked those kind of parties. Go."_

 _"..._ Okay." Her voice was still uncertain.

" _Okay. So we are just getting to the movie now. The whole matinee thing didn't pan out. Do you two want to join us? We might go out for pizza afterwards."_

"Mmno, I think we both need some non-social time tonight. See you at home?"

 _"_ _Yeah, we'll be late. Be safe, hon."_

 _"_ Mhm, you too. Bye, dad."

Eva looked up in time to see Ward step out of the store, tucking something into his coat pocket and carrying a small bag. "Hey, the sales person pointed out the one you had decided on, so I went ahead and got it." She blinked at him. "So where to next? Rescue cooking again?" He dropped the small bag in her lap before sitting next to her, hands in his coat pockets.

"You didn't have to do that." She murmured.

He shrugged watching the traffic go by, "She didn't have to assault me with her witchcraft bruise balm."

Eva smiled, "Witchcraft? Really, Ward?" He glanced over with a tentative smile at the sound of his name. "So they are just getting to the movie now and were thinking pizza after. Do you want to go?"

Ward looked back to the traffic, "I would not be mad about skipping out on all of that tonight."

Eva nodded, "Good, because I already told them 'no.' So what now then? Hermit away at home? Wander by the garden to see the lights?" She looked over at Ward, "Have a non-friendly competition at the nickle arcade?"

Ward looked away, "You probably already know my vote, but really two out of three of those sound good."

Eva sucked in a deep breath, "Ouch, I didn't realize I was such a bad kisser to be beaten out by hermitting and cheap arcade games."

Ward turned to her, already rolling his eyes.

She placed her hand on his elbow, "It'll be dark soon, let's go see the lights."

He stood up, allowing her to snake her arm through his on the way back to his car. "You just want my coat."

 _I can hear that smirk._ She nodded, tipping her head to his shoulder. "Mhm, I just want your coat."

They pulled into the gravel parking lot at twilight just as the garden lights began flickering on. Small solar lights guided the path with stringed fairy lights winding throughout the foliage. The two made their way passed the cottage and up the hill, following the same path as before. The opening between the lilacs was guarded by two lamp posts and the old well's roof was lined with lights. Fairy lights dimly lit the arbors above the benches as the two claimed a wider bench looking out over the garden.

Once sitting, they remained in silence for minutes on end before Eva glanced down at her hand in his between them. She looked back up at him, catching his profile before he turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, Ward?" He hummed lowly, acknowledging her and she swore she could feel his sound reverberate through her chest. "May I kiss you again?" She watched his face, trying to glean information to label his reaction. All remained stoic, except his eyes which flashed through too many emotions to track. She flinched when she suddenly felt his other hand under her chin but reached up and held it to her skin to keep him from drawing it back.

For a breath neither of them moved before he leaned down to press his lips to her own. In the space of the single kiss, she felt the vacuum devour her chest. Her hand left his at her chin to rest on his leg, her body twisting to better face him.

Eva cracked her eyes open, not wanting to leave the kiss, she decided to just breathe the words against his lips. "Hey, Ward?"

"Mhm?" His eyes remained closed.

She could feel his lips curve against hers as her hand traveled to rest on his coat's collar and she nipped his lower lip before kissing it some more. "May I have your coat again?"

He barked a laugh and broke the kiss, looking down at her as she smiled innocently up at him. He shook his head, "No, too risky. I'm afraid you'll have to freeze to death." He covered her mouth with his own before she could respond, swallowing her answering growl as he moved his hand to her hair and gently held on to her.

Eva broke the kiss again, so Ward simply slipped his kisses elsewhere. "You're heartless," she murmured with a sigh. She heard him hum a disinterested agreement against her temple as she sidled up closer to his side.

The two sat for a moment, staring out at the lights again with his arm now draped around her. _This is a good place to be._ She lightly grabbed his free hand and ran her fingertips up and down each of his fingers. As the hand relaxed in hers, she raised it to her lips and left soft kisses on each of his fingertips. She felt him give a deep, silent sigh before tipping his head to rest against hers. She kept his hand in front of her as they gazed across the darkened gardens, randomly grazing her lips against his skin, with the occasional nip at his knuckles.

When he finally spoke, his voice was measured and low. "Should we go back?"

 _To the house or to the city?_ She nodded under his arm and slipped away.

He removed his coat as he stood and wrapped it around her, hiding a smile as she hummed in contentment before they made their way back down the garden path, hand in hand.

The drive home was silent as well, with Eva twisted in her seat, not giving up his hand and stealing glances at his face.

When they entered the empty house they stood in the kitchen, hesitating and uncertain how to proceed. After a heartbeat, Eva watched as Ward finally turned to her, lifting her chin and releasing her hand to settle his on her waist. She held her breath as he slowly leaned down, softly capturing her lips once again. Reaching up, she carded her fingers into his hair, enjoying the thought of mussing it up even as she slipped her hand under his shirt to rest against his skin.

His flinch made her pull away as he fought to maintain the kiss. "Your hands are really cold," he whispered into her lips.

She smiled and placed her hand against him once more as he bit back a groan. "They'll warm up," she insisted, tentatively brushing her tongue at his lips.

As her tongue timidly explored his mouth, Ward wrapped his arms around her, guiding her to one of the tall stools at the island in the kitchen. His hand drifted to her ass before he lifted her on to the seat and stepped in between her knees, refusing to break the kiss.

She leaned to him, starving for as much contact as she could get with a hand planted on his shoulder and the other hooked on to his belt, pulling him closer despite the lack of space.

He broke the kiss a second time and she groaned, moving her lips to his neck, pulling him closer so she could capture his ear lobe in her lips. Se listened to his shaky breath before he finally spoke evenly, "We should go upstairs."

Eva nodded against his neck, still giving him kisses as he pulled her off the stool and guided her to the stairs. She didn't stop leaving kisses on his skin even as she gracelessly sat on a step part way up, pulling him with her.

Ward covered her body with his, bracing himself to either side as she tugged him closer, instigating a deep kiss. He pulled back once more, "This isn't what I meant."

She smiled against his cheek, "So I'm impatient." Another kiss, this one on his chin.

He slipped a hand under her shirt to the curve of her back, pulling her forward as he knelt on a lower step before her. She felt him dip his head to her neck, burying his face in her scarf before reaching up and tugging it off to better get to her skin. She gulped in the air as he kissed her collar more fiercely, cupping her breast with a gentle hand and tracing it through the fabric of her sweater. A pit formed in her stomach as she tightened her knees against him, his hand drifting to the button of her jeans.

She lightly scraped her nails under his shirt, enjoying his abrupt growl that echoed in her empty chest. _He has too many clothes on._ Her mind flashed the scene of him shirtless with only a towel and she smiled into his hair before tugging his shirt up. "You have too many clothes on," she whispered in his ear, feeling him shiver against her shoulder.

His hand on her button slipped to the hem of her shirt as he leaned back, taking in the sight of her messy hair, shirt in disarray, and her jeans undone. He kept his face neutral as he gazed down at her before leaning forward again and kissing her forehead. He pulled her up to stand. "We can fix the clothes problem in a bedroom."

The vacuum in her chest pulled at her breath as they made their way to his room, nudging the door closed to the dim room before he was in front of her again, guiding her back to his bed. He left light kisses at her temple as he pushed her jeans down to her thighs. He couldn't reach further while kissing her so he moved his hands to her sweater, pulling it up and breaking the kiss so he could drop her top on the bed. _Thank god for the dark._ She leaned back, towards the bed, but his hands steadied her as they ghosted along her sides, her back, the thumbs tracing the skin right underneath her bra. She shivered at the touch, at his exploring every curve. _Oh dear god, he's going to draw this out. It's been_ _ **so long.**_ She pulled on him towards the bed but he refused to budge so she settled for tugging his shirt up and over his head, uncovering his skin and feeling the lean, heated muscles.

Ward gently pushed her away, ignoring her whimpering as she tried pulling him to her. He guided her to the edge of the bed, pushing softly until she was seated in front of him. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him and his messy hair in the shadowy room. He slowly knelt in front of her, kissing her hair, her forehead, her nose, continually trailing down. When he reached her chest, he stretched his arm around her, unclipping her bra before tugging it off and reverently caressing her breasts. Eva held her breath once more as he leaned forward and kissed her skin, sliding his lips along her chest until he caught a nipple in his mouth, flicking it with his tongue.

She shuddered under his touches as he moved to her other breast, kissing and licking at her nipple before choosing a spot on the gentle curve to bury his mouth and suck, leaving a kiss mark as he moved his head lower. She conceded to his light nudges, leaning back on to the bed, feeling him tug her jeans off, slowly followed by the underwear. _Oh fuck, is he going to take forever?_ Despite her inner complaints, she could smell the sex in the air now and her panties were icy cold as he slipped them down her legs, testaments to how wet she had become waiting for him.

Her mind blanked when she felt his lips against her thigh as he lifted one of her legs over his shoulder. She relished the feel of his hot skin against hers, his hair tickling her leg as he slid his other arm forward, stopping once his hand reached her breasts so that he could massage them gently. She barely breathed as she felt his warm breath between her legs, his kisses gradually getting closer to her privacy. Her body tensed when she felt his tongue slowly glide against her folds. She sighed as he licked up and down before he trapped her clitoris between his lips and gently sucked.

Eva reached down, twisting her fingers in her hair before settling her other hand on his at her breast, guiding it in it's ministrations and practically purring when his fingers tenderly kneaded her nipples. When he slipped a finger into her, she jerked her hips up, gasping. He slowly pumped it in and out as he continued to trail his tongue against her burning, wet folds. She whimpered again, squeezing her legs around him and gasping before pulling on his hair. _I want more. I want more of him. I want him inside._ A pit had formed in her stomach that demanded to be filled. "Come back." He raised his head to look up at her, face forever neutral despite his hungry eyes. He hummed as he lowered once more, kissing her mound, her belly button, her chest. And then he was on top of her in the dark room, his hands traveling her skin as their lips melted together.

She could feel his hard on against her thigh and tangled her legs in his to rub against his jeans harder. He moaned into her shoulder. "Ward," it was barely a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again, "Ward, your pants. Get them off." She felt his lips curve against her neck. _I just know that's a smirk. Don't be difficult, Ward._ She strategically rubbed her leg against him, eliciting another moan before he clenched his teeth. "Get them off."

She waited with what she termed divine patience, listening as he tugged his pants and boxers off in the dark. Finally she felt the bed shift and the man's burning skin covered her own. She spread her legs around his invitingly as she felt his chest against hers, his hips against hers, his lips against hers. His hand tangled in her hair as he kissed her tentatively. Her mind whirled as she felt his member, firm and warm settle between her legs, against her folds. A moan escaped her as she angled her hips towards him, her nails drifting on his back.

Ward braced himself on an elbow, lifting her hips with his other hand as he finally began to push himself in to her.

She tried to memorize his breathing as his tip entered her, tried to memorize the feel of her hot, wetness engulfing his cock before she shook her head to clear it. "Oh wait. Shit. No, Ward. We have to stop."

He froze before easing out of her and lowering to one side. "Well I can honestly say that that's not exactly what I expected to hear after..."

She can hear how guarded his voice is and speaks quickly in the dark to reassure him. "No, just for a moment. We need a condom." Her hands were already traveling up and down his side, barely ghosting to his lower abdomen before trailing back up in an attempt to pacify his disappointment.

"Oh," he sighed, "I do not have one of those." She cocked her head to the side in silence. "What? You think I planned this?"

She giggled into his chest as she turned towards him on the bed, "I guess, you just strike me as the type who does this regularly."

Ward froze before humming. "Yeah, you can add stock investment to the list of things you should probably never do." There was a pause until his rough voice with it's even tones graced the air again. "I am willing to admit that I am slightly under-experienced in this field." Another heartbeat of silence. "I don't invest time in many people, you've noticed that. Right?" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to feel her against him once more.

"True," she whispered against his skin, "you are kind of a snob."

He barked a short laugh before pushing a kiss into her hair. "Will you be staying with me tonight?"

She felt him relax when she nodded. "Maybe I can steal a condom from Sofia's room." She then felt him throb against her thighs. "I'm pretty sure she and Daniel hide them in the drawer of her night stand."

Ward shifted against her as he groaned, "That's an image I can never un-imagine, Eva."

She giggled as she pushed away from him and padded out of the room. _Oh boy._ She leaned against the wall in the dark hallway, catching her breath. _Okay, you're doing fine, Eva._ She straightened up before walking to her sister's bedroom and carefully opening the door despite knowing that no one else was home. She flicked on the light and strategically avoided looking at the mirror as she crossed the room to the nightstand. Opening the drawer awarded her with a small box of condoms and she tore one from the strip, closing the drawer before turning around and pausing. _Fucking Sofia moved her mirror._ She stared at her skin for a moment, the small lines crisscrossing on her torso, the small cigarette burns on her chest that she knew circled around to her back, the long, sloping scar at her side, and the bruising kiss mark by her left nipple. The last abrasion drew a tentative smile to her lips, breaking her from her trance. She continued on her way, flicking the light off as she left.

Treading quietly back to Ward's bedroom, she slipped into the bed in the dark. He had moved the covers back while he waited for her and she snuggled close to him as he pulled the blankets over them. She was shivering from her naked trek and was grateful when Ward encompassed her in his arms, entangling his legs in hers. She stayed crushed against him until she was warm again and brave enough to push away just far enough slide her fingertips down his chest, ghost along hist abdomen, and hesitate just under his bellybutton.

Eva could feel the way he was barely breathing as she forced her hand further down, the tips of her fingers barely grazing the skin on his cock. She felt him shiver as her hand gripped him, gently drifting from his tip to his base as he drew his own hand to her side, caressing up and down before dipping between her legs. Her breath hitched as she fought back another moan, feeling his hand cup her before pressing deeper into her with his long fingers. She gulped in air as his fingers became coated with her juices and she strove to focus on stroking him, feeling the precum wetting his tip. Dropping the condom in the bed between them, she pushed at him until she could feel him roll to his back. She lifted the blankets as she sat up, repositioning herself between his long legs as she traced her fingers from his tip all the way down to his balls, gently cupping them before slipping her fingers back to his length.

She relished every sound he made; the quiet sighs, the frustrated gasps, and the way he clenched off any moan before it could make it passed his throat. She braced her hands on his thighs and bent down to lightly lick the precum from his tip. Ward went rigid in her hands as she placed a delicate kiss on the head before leaning in further to nuzzle his length with her nose. She placed her tongue at his base before drawing it along the bottom of his shaft, feeling him place a hand on her head, he tensed as he rested it in her hair. She rubbed her lips against his tip before opening her mouth to engulf as much of him as she could. He shuddered beneath her and she felt his hand knot in her hair as his other hand reached for her shoulder. She welcomed the warmth against her as she slowly bobbed her head up and down, delighting in the taste of his body and humming her own pleasure.

Once Ward's hand squeezed her shoulder, she withdrew her mouth, amused at the frustrated, broken breaths she could hear. "Don't stop." The words were a low rumble and felt her abdomen tighten with his command. Bending to him once more, she licked his length before lightly grazing her teeth against the sensitive skin on his cock. He shuddered once more and she kissed his inner thighs before sitting up.

"Don't tell me what to do, Ward." She slid her knees up to either side of his waist, straddling him as she eased her instruction with a deep kiss. The void in her chest had moved to her lower belly as his hands glided up her thighs, one resting on her ass while his other moved further, to gently grip where her shoulder met her neck. She quivered as she felt his hard on graze her soft, warm folds once more. Pulling back, she sought out the discarded packet she left on the sheets, tearing a side and removing the condom. She quickly rolled it on to him, noting the flinch as the cold, lubricated sheath covered him.

"Eva," his quiet voice drifted to her as she gently kneaded his balls once the condom was applied. "Hurry up, Eva." Her head swirled at the low, breathy tones he used to say her name.

She settled for repeating herself as his hands pulled her hips forward, lining her up. "Don't tell me what to do, Ward." She whispered as she eased herself down, his hands tightening on her waist as his cock penetrated her dripping folds. He held her still once she was flush against him, his member buried within her as they both took deep, unsteady breaths. She gyrated her hips and was rewarded with a sharp gasp from beneath her. A slow smile spread to her lips as she continued the movement, adoring the feeling of his sliding in and out of her. He traced the curves of her body as she moved on above him, teasing her nipples and softly squeezing her breasts. She gasped for breath and moved harder and faster until he tugged at her shoulders forcing her to lean down and meet his lips.

Wrapping his arms around her with a groan of ecstasy, Ward pushed until they rolled and his body pressed down on hers. She whimpered in displeasure as the the movement pulled him out of her. "Ward," Eva had to work not to sound like she was whining. "Come back!"

She felt him gasping for breath against her own heaving chest. But she heard the smirk in his voice as he whispered into her ear, "Don't tell me what to do, Eva."

She groaned beneath him, "Ward! Ward, I want you to come back!" She angled her hips up to him, clawing at his back to pull him closer. "Ward!"

He scattered light kisses on her neck, jaw, and earlobe. "You are being incredibly bossy." He mocked roughly as he pulled away from her, sitting back on his legs

Eva kept reaching for him. "Don't be a jerk, War- Oh god!" she gasped as he lifted her thighs and pushed into her hard. Her body quaked under him as he pulled back before slowly pressing in again, setting the rhythm at a steady, patient pace that made her writhe before him, arching her back and pulling at his waist, wanting more. "Ward," she was out of breath from clawing at his body, trying to make him go faster.

"Are you still bossing me around?" His voice was strained. To Eva's dismay however, he slowed his thrusting to a crawl eliciting a whimper despite her attempts to clamp down on her voice.

 _Oh dear god, I am willing to beg for this._ "Ward, please?" She felt his body freeze completely at her small voice. _Well that is the exact opposite of what I wanted._ It only lasted a breath before he silently continued pumping into her with an increased intensity. She sighed in relief, her legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust faster and faster into her, until she could feel his balls knocking against her ass with each push. She felt his right hand drift across her skin from her thigh to her abdomen and tensed when she felt his thumb teasing at her clitoris even as he pushed into her. She held her breath, only to gasp when Ward angled his thrusts differently, finding a sensitive point inside her. She felt the void in her abdomen collapse in on itself and her mind go haywire as her walls spasmed against his penetrating member.

Ward continued his thrusting as her back arched, raising her hips to welcome him into her. As she came down from her high, she felt his hips jerk against hers as his cock throbbed repeatedly inside her, each throb punctuated by a brisk thrust.

The thrusts slowed until all there was was dark, heat, and panting. _And oh god, he's still inside me._ Eva wrapped her legs around him tightly, not wanting to risk letting him pull away. She heard a quick, light exhale before feeling him lean forward, slipping himself out of her as he rested his head on her shoulder, face turned away. His weight settled over her, and she relished it despite the extra work to even breathe. She relaxed her legs and brought her arms around his broad shoulders, letting her fingers trace nonsensical patterns along his shoulder blades. _I could lay like this forever. This would be enough._ She squeezed her eyes closed and tucked her face against his warm skin.

Once his breath evened out slightly, he gently slid to her side, sprawling his long limbs and heaving out a heavy sigh. Eva remained where she lay, uncertain about what to expect from the man following such an activity. _Is he satisfied? Was it enough for him? Did I please him enough?_ Her stomach turned with anxiety and an irrational fear. As she lay still, she realized her inner questions were reminiscent of her previous bed partner. _Is he disappointed?_ She felt him roll his head towards her and fought the urge to reach out and tangle her hand in his sure to be messy hair. The urge to offer to do whatever it takes to make him cum again. The urge to ensure his pleasure in order to ensure her safety. Instead she remained frozen in the unexpected terror until she felt his hand take hers and guide it to his mouth where his burning lips left gentle, kisses on each of her fingers. Her muscles eased with each point of contact before he returned the hands to the cramped space between them.

Silence settled in, the weight similar to Ward's body as she rolled towards him and curled around his arm.

Time passed with each breath Eva heard becoming deeper and slower until she knew he had to be sleeping, his body losing tension in the silence. She listened as eventually doors opened and closed downstairs. She waited as the sounds of her family melded into the house, spreading upstairs as her sister and Daniel turned in for the night. Eventually, all she listened to was Ward's breathing again.

Gingerly escaping from the chaotic blankets after releasing his arm, she tread softly from the bed to the door, quietly gathering her clothing with each delicate step. Eva paused at the door to glance back at the bed in the dark, the delicate moonlight not enough to give details to the shape upon the bed. She put pressure on the door handle before turning it, ensuring her silent departure as she pulled the door open and closed, before tip-toeing across the hall to the safety of her own bedroom.


	10. Phone Calls are Good

**Apologies for the previous upload of this chapter. Normally I copy and paste from OpenOffice and it works great, keeps the fonts and everything. Very handy. This round, not so much. For some reason so I had to go through and edit it all out, plus the random programming lines that spawned. I've the technical savvy of a Luddite.**

The chilled air on his torso was what jerked him from his slumber, but the coldness from the sheets is what made him open his eyes and search. The space next to him in the dark room was empty. _She's gone, why is she gone?_ _You were a disappointment-_ It was still early and Ward had to work to fight off his father's voice in his head, suggesting all the possible reasons for her disappearance. He sat up in the bed and felt the sheets further away. They were all cold on his hands. He propped himself up against the wall and stared at the dark room, toying with the hem of the sheet.

 _She lied?_

Slipping from the bed, he glanced at the clock. _3:12._ The knot in his chest twisted and he tasted bile in his throat. _She said.._. Tugging on his sweat pants and another dark t-shirt, he crept through the hall to the bathroom. After washing his face and ridding his mouth of the taste of sleep, he checked his room again. _Still empty. She wasn't coming back?_ He idled in the doorway with uncertainty, occasionally peering at her door before turning and heading downstairs. _She probably didn't go far, but still..._

Ward jogged along the edge of the road, his shoes crunching against small stones with each stride. It was a cold night and the air burned his throat before being puffed out in a small cloud. Stopping at a random intersection Ward turned in a circle, taking in the darkened trees, the clear night sky, and the intense silence that was foreign to his city upbringing. He dug his phone out of his pocket while he caught his breath and immediately regretted not checking sooner. A tiny envelope grace his screen.

" _Hey Ward! Colleen and I just got back from Russia! She wanted to be home for xmas. Lets meet up later this week. I need to check in with some friends of Claires first and make sure the coast is still clear of the Hand._ "

Ward frowned, it wasn't necessarily whom he had most wanted to hear from, but that's acceptable. _And what the hell was he doing in Russia?_ Before replying, he pulled up his work schedule from the dropbox Megan kept up to date. _Wednesday should be good... I doubt he'll come by the office._ " _Wednesday for lunch. 11:30. Somewhere near the office._ "

A thumbs up popped into the conversation followed by " _Go back to sleep. Your a zombie at the best of times_."

Ward winced at the poor spelling and ignored the jab. _Weren't monks supposed to be exemplary at writing?_ Turning back the way he came, he resolved to leave after a shower and ignored his father's voice in his head, still taunting with insults and speculations of Ward's likely shortcomings and all the possible reasons for Eva to have left him.

Slipping back inside the house, Ward froze two steps into the kitchen. Penny sat at the kitchen island, her laptop and a cup in front of her. _She looks as surprised as I feel_...

Penny recovered from her shock first, "Good morning! You're up early." Both of them awkwardly glanced at the clock on the microwave.

Ward shrugged back at her with a forced smile. "Same goes for you." He took another step towards the other side of the room.

"Yeah, but I'm not running myself ragged at 4 in the morning." She grinned at her own pun as she noted the sweat. "Must have been a cold run. Your bruise is lookin' a lot better today though. More greenish yellow than blue and purple."

Ward shifted his feet and brought his fingertips gingerly to his jaw. _I forgot about that._ He pushed his wet hair back and shrugged again in discomfort. "Must be your witchcraft bruise balm." He kept his face and tone even. _I didn't think anyone would be up._ "What are you awake so early for?" _I didn't think I'd have to say goodbye to anyone_.

It was Penny's turn to shrug, smirking at Ward calling her a witch. "Just don't need as much sleep as I used to. You should take that balm when you leave this afternoon. I don't expect that you keep any at home."

He winced. "I actually have to head out earlier than that." He gestured to his phone in his hand as her smile slipped from her face. "A coworker just got back to the country and I need to get some stuff together for when I see him next." _It's not a complete lie. I can see why Eva uses her phone so often_...

"How early is 'earlier?' We were going to grab brunch at Tom and Kristy's..." She turned in her chair to face him and fidgeted with her shirt sleeve.

"Well..." The hurt look in her wide eyes making him hesitate before continuing on, keeping his tone indifferent. "I was thinking I'd head out after a shower." He looked to the doorway to avoid the surprise on her face.

"Without breakfast? Or saying goodbye to everyone?" Her voice rang with disbelief.

Ward refused to demonstrate his discomfort and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, this person has been away for a long time so it's quite a bit of work to put together to bring him up to date..." They stared at each other.

Slowly, she started to nod at him. Her voice was light and airy when she finally spoke. "Of course... I'll fry you up some eggs and make some coffee while you get ready to go.

"You don't have to," he took a step forward before pausing at her cold look.

"I insist." Her tone left no room for argument as she slid off her chair and turned away, opening the fridge and refusing to look back at him.

 _Shit. She's really going to guilt me on this._ He continued on his way through the kitchen and up the stairs. He avoided looking at Eva's door as he went to and from his room to the bathroom for a shower.

He remade the bed in a daze, trying not to think before leaving the room in a charcoal suit and a freshly shaven face. Once in the kitchen, he set his suitcase by the door and took a place at the island counter top. Penny slid a plate in front of him with eggs and toast before slowly approaching his suitcase and leaving the small container of balm on top of it. With a set jaw, she took a seat a few stools away and turned to blatantly stare at him. Ward took a sip of coffee before letting out a slow, silent sigh. "Thanks for the breakfast."

She pursed her lips. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing." Ward squared his shoulders as he leaned back to look at the older woman, forcing an easy confidence he didn't feel.

She hummed and continued her staring. Ward shifted uncomfortably before resigning himself to an audience for breakfast and taking a bite. _I can see the school teacher. Her kids must fear her observation_. The thought almost made him smile.

"So... Eva sounded excited yesterday- about those fancy pants parties coming up next month. Anxious, but excited."

Ward paused, the toast in his hand. He had completely forgotten about that too. "You think she'd really want to go then?" He knew his face and tone would be impassive, but he cursed how childish he sounded asking the question regardless. He saw Penny cock her head to the side in his periphery before she nodded again.

"Yes," she spoke her words slowly, "I think she is happy to go with you."

He hummed, drinking more of his coffee, uncertain how else to reply and noting the way Penny specifies them attending the events together. _It's stupid to be this frustrated. She just went to her own room. That's fine!_ But he couldn't ignore the distress he felt when he woke up expecting her to be there only to find her gone when she said she'd stay. _When did I get fucking abandonment issues?_ He made a point of not thinking about how everyone was gone the last few months, his father, Danny, and worst of all his sister, who swore to always back him. All his family. _So much for my goddamn family._

Ward jumped slightly when Penny settled her hand on his own, he shifted his steady gaze to her.

"Hey," her voice was soft in the quiet room, "you have been glaring at that coffee like it has personally offended you for a while now and I know our coffee isn't that bad." The hand on his tightened. "Tell me what's going on, maybe I can help."

Ward glanced at his barely touched breakfast before looking back to the woman and pulling his hand away with a tight lipped smile. "Really, nothing's going on. I do need to get back to work though." He hesitated. _Do I leave her with a message for Eva? No._ "Thank you for all your hospitality. It was... great to spend a holiday with you all." _It has been a long time_.

Penny slid off her chair, following him with a distressed shadow in her eyes. "No problem. We'll be here Christmas too if you want to join us. You sure you don't want to stay another couple hours? Maybe at least say goodbye to Eva?"

Ward shook his head slightly, the polite smile still plastered on his face as he picked up his suitcase, tucking the gifted balm into one of it's many pockets. "She knows how to find me. And I want to beat traffic..." _This is uncomfortable. Is she going to hug me again?_ The two stared at each other for a moment. _Guess not_. He nodded and stepped through the door, back into the brisk air. After loading the luggage into his car and climbing into the driver's seat he looked back to the house. Penny still stood at the open door, frowning. As he pulled out of the driveway he saw her raise a hand in a solemn wave, he waved back, allowing a small smile before she was lost from sight to the trees.

With the distance between the family and Ward increasing, the knot in his chest changed; easing in some ways, tightening in others. He tried not to feel like he was running away.

Hours later, Ward sat at his desk in the vast and near deserted office building. He had been printing off relevant summaries and graphs of different deals and projects the company had undertaken since Danny drifted off the map. _It's probably optimistic of me to hope he'll actually do any work in the company now._ He added a briefing of his workforce restructuring to the binder and glanced at the newest folio on his desk that Megan must have left for him before she went on holiday. Ward paused as his cell phone rang off to the side. He checked the caller ID. _Eva. Nope._ He swiped to ignore the call and returned to the computer.

A few moments later his phone rang again, he didn't recognize the number and chose to ignore it as well only to hear a ding notify him that he had a voicemail. Ward sighed before standing to stretch and hold the phone to his ear. He winced at Sofia's angry tone and hushed voice.

" _What the **hell** , Ward?! It'd be one thing if you just up and left but you fucking **slept** with Eva and **then** up and left? Without a word? And now you aren't answering her calls? You weren't supposed to be an asshole! Get the fuck back here and-_"

Eva's surprised voice cut through her sister's words, " _Sofia? Shit! What the hell are you doing? Hang that up right now._ " There were jostling sounds and a hushed argument he couldn't make out before the message ended.

Ward gently set the phone back on his desk before sitting down. He remained momentarily still in the chair. _I fucked up_. He rubbed a hand across his face before standing and pacing with no set pattern in the empty office. _Oh I fucked up again_. He sat gracelessly in one of the randomly placed chairs in the large hall outside his office. _Ok. So I should have probably stayed. It's not like she got on a plane and disappeared like_ \- He didn't let his mind finish the sentence as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. _Ok. I'll just call her back. I'll apologize. Again_. He winced. His plan was weak and he knew it but he wasn't sure what else to do. Apart from him, this floor in the tower was empty today, so he pulled up the recent calls list and tapped Eva's name, thumping his foot in the open hallway as he listened to the ringing. The ringing stopped and he got the distinct feeling that she answered despite the silence coming through the line. "Hello?" He tipped his head back, closing his eyes and rubbing his temple, regretting getting into the situation in the first place.

Eva's voice was guarded when she finally spoke. " _Hello, Ward._ " He winced at the disappointment that settled in his name.

 _You have been the greatest disappointment of..._

They both waited for the other to speak. "So," Ward began slowly, uncomfortable with the silence, "how was brunch at Tom's?" He squeezed his eyes shut tighter at his floundering. _Dad was right, I still sound like an eight year old_.

" _Good, still there_." She didn't offer anything more.

Ward gave a slow sigh into the dead air. "Eva, I had to come back to the office, I-"

" _Yeah, your business partner. Mom told me. She did **not** have to tell me that you didn't feel like you even needed to say goodbye or anything though. I got that loud and clear. When you left. Freakishly early. Without so much as a good morning. You know, the morning after we had sex._"

 _That was blunt_. Ward could feel his temper flare as he stood and paced away from the chair. _She's the one who said she wouldn't leave._ His tone was quicker and colder than he wanted. "I'm sorry." He took a breath and proceeded before she could say anything more. "You gave the impression last night that **you** were going to stay with me. **You** were gone. So I le-"

" _You left because I went to sleep in my room?! Well shit, Ward. You sure showed me._ "

"Eva. That's not what I meant and you know it." He pulled a pen from his pocket to fiddle with in his free hand. _Then what did I mean?_

Her voice echoed his mind, " _Then what did you mean? Please, enlighten me._ "

There was a pause on both ends before he let out a heavy sigh. "I am sorry, Eva. Really. Just... God, it's so fucking stupid." He slid to the floor against a polished wall and sprawled his legs. He could hear her even breaths over the phone. _How does she stay so calm?_ "Everyone left this year and it felt like you did too when I woke up expecting you to be there with me and you were gone." _I'm a moron. Why do I even speak?_

" _So_..." He waited as she sought the words. " _So what? You were... triggered? By me-_ "

He scoffed, "I don't have triggers."

" _No. Ward. I think you do._ " Her hesitant voice was gaining confidence at the label. " _It's alright. Just think about it. You've had a **horrible** year. Your family has been- You respond to being grabbed with a volatile defense. You panic when someone leaves. I mean, that all sounds like-_"

"Just don't," he spat into the phone. "I don't need therapy."

" _I didn't say you did._ " The conversation stalled before Eva spoke quickly. " _I left your room because I was afraid_."

Ward opened his eyes at her confession. His words came slower than hers. "Why would you be afraid of me?"

 _No, Ward, you're the monster._

" _It just... sneaks up on a person, you know? I didn't even think it would be an issue. I swear I didn't even consider it. But when we- when we were finished I- All I could do was lay there and..._ " Ward stared at the wall across the hall from him and listened as she cleared her throat. " _I just had to get out of the room and mine was right across the hall and I knew I'd be safe and-_ "

 _Well that's not any better._ "Why would you think you're not safe with me?" He could hear the hurt in his own voice and pulled his knees up to rest his elbows on them.

" _No! It's not that I don't think I'm safe! I just..._ " Ward tapped the pen lightly against his knee, stoically waiting for her to finish her sentence. " _Well, I mean, my last bed partner wasn't as..._ "

Ward found himself blandly nodding to the empty hall, "It was Keith."

He heard a sigh from the other end of the line. " _Yes?"_

He raised an eyebrow, "Was that a question?" He could imagine the way she must be fidgeting, trying to make herself look smaller, take up less space, be less noticeable.

" _No. Yes, it was Keith. And... And if we are being completely honest, I didn't want to be there like that when the sun came-_ "

He furrowed his brow at the floor. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Silence met him. "Eva?"

" _I_ ," the pause lasted multiple breaths before she cleared her throat again and continued with a shaky voice. " _Well, it was dark._ "

 _Is she crying right now?_ He kept his voice neutral, " _Yeah... that's how night time typically works in this latitude._ "

" _Shut up, Ward._ "

He felt the corners of his mouth twitch up. "Don't tell me what to do, Eva." _Was that a laugh? Or a sob? I think it was a laugh_. The knot loosened ever so slightly.

" _I have some scars. And I was- am- was- I don't know. I'm self-conscious of anyone seeing them- especially you? So I left. So you wouldn't see. I didn't think it would upset you. I'm sorry. If I knew, I would have stayed- I would have gotten dressed! But I would have stayed with you..._ " Her voice sounded so small at the end.

Ward's mind sluggishly processed her words as he rested his pen against the floor. _Oh_. **_Oh_**. _What a bastard. What did he do?_ He beat down the morbid curiosity with self disgust and struggled to lighten the conversation. "So... May I still put you on the lists as my date for these miserable fundraisers?"

A wet giggle came through the line, " _Yes, I'd still like to go with you to your miserable fundraisers._ "

His lip twitched up as they sat in silence for a heartbeat. "So Tom's not flirting with you too much, is he? I could come kidnap you if you want."

" _Ah, so you admit that your work isn't really that important today._ " There was a smile in her coy voice as he snorted back a laugh.

"Honestly I'm not sure if this dimwit is even going to look at any of the material I have prepared on Wednesday. But a guy can dream. Maybe he'll even start doing his job."

" _Maybe you should fire him._ "

He scoffed again. _If I could be so lucky._

Her voice had gained strength in the last few seconds. " _I think I need to get back to socializing before Sofia adds me to her hitlist_."

"Ah, yes. The beautiful Sofia." His voice was low and full of dread. A giggle came through the line again. "You know, it's cruel and unusual to sic a person like Sofia on anyone. I don't care what they've done."

" _Oh? Even if they've dined and dashed?_ "

He snorted back another laugh, "Is that what we're calling it?"

" _Well, what terminology would you use for it, Mr. Meachum?_ "

He rolled his eyes, "Being an asshole, I suppose."

She hummed her agreement and Ward bit back a smile when she didn't argue his being an asshole. The conversation lulled and Ward's mind wandered.

"Eva, about your scars... they don't change anything. I hope- I hope you know how I feel." He struggled with the words. _When was the last time I said I hope for anything? When was the last time I even actually hoped for some- no, that's too dreary a topic._

There was a breath of silence. " _How is that? How do you feel?_ " Her voice was softer than before and even more timid.

He blinked. It was Ward's turn to clear his throat. "I said no to therapy. Go be social." A scoff came over the line. "I'll see you soon."

" _Mhm, better be soon._ " A click and the line went dead.

Ward set the phone on the floor and leaned his head back against the wall. _That went differently than I expected_. He allowed himself a small smile before grabbing the pen and phone and returning to his office. If he was to make his lie honest, he had work to do.


	11. Stuff to look forward to

**Hey everyone, I still own nothing. Just wanted to point that out. No Defenders, no Ward, and hey, no Graham Windham Center.**

 **Everyone on here seems radio silent. If you notice a mistake or anything that just doesn't sit right in this story and it's chapters, let me know and I'll fix it. Especially if someone is too out of character. I'm trying, but no one's perfect.**

Monday morning dawned slowly. Ward glanced to the lightening sky out his window as he finished adjusting his tie and grabbed his briefcase on the way out the door. He was driving himself today. Mainly because it was getting colder out and he didn't want to have to walk home from the coffee shop after work. As the thought crossed his mind he flipped the driver's side mirror down and fixed random stray hairs back before heading to the office. He had yet to see Eva since the night they had spent together but her texts had kept them in touch. She had spent the previous day with Kay, since it had been so long since they'd seen each other. The young women had made snickerdoodle cookies or some such sweet together and gossiped about how their Thanksgiving had gone. Ward hadn't spoken with Kay yet, but Eva assured him that they had discussed him to a great length, much to his suspicious chagrin, and that while the young hothead was still angry with him, she was willing to not bite his head off the next time they met. He already planned on bribing her forgiveness by telling her he'd mentor her- as long as she was willing to come to the office one or two days a week. Otherwise, he wasn't sure what being a mentor entailed yet.

He arrived in the parking garage and made his way to the elevator, too distracted with how much was changing to bother with avoiding the reflective doors. Ward greeted employees by name, at least, the ones he knew from his files. He made sure to memorize the names and faces, determined not to have a repeat of the corruption that had cost him so much. The few faces he didn't recognize, he nodded to and glanced at name badges, taking note to look them up once he reached his office. _Fewer and fewer faces that I don't recognize. But there's still so far to go._ Regardless, Ward felt it was the start to a possibly okay day and he looked forward to it.

Strolling out of the elevator and passed the assistant's desk, he smirked at Megan in greeting. Her "Good morning, Mr. Meachum," died on her lips as she furrowed her brow at his back until his office door broke the view. Megan stood from her desk, grabbing a stack of mail and following him in. "Mr. Meachum, here's this last week's mail for you. And um, I received a confirmation for the Graham Windham Charity event in two weeks for you and a uh, a plus one?"

Ward nodded as she spoke, not looking up as he booted his computer, "Alright. I will take a look at it all before the meeting with Borelli." He finally glanced up and caught a brief expression of disappoint flash across his employee's face before she plastered on a polite smile and began to turn for the door. He straightened his shoulders and gave her his full attention before she turned away, stopping her in her tracks. "Was there something else?" He returned to his default neutral expression and business tone and the disappointment flickered in Megan's eyes once more, albeit much more subtly than before. _Oh come on, what the hell did I do now?_

Megan shifted her feet, but kept her head up.

 _Brave of her. Or professional. Maybe she's both, how should I know? It's probably both._

 _"_ No, sir." She said with her false smile.

Ward stared at her for a minute before lightly nodding, "Ok, thank you, Megan." He turned back to his desk.

"It's just that," she continued on, ignoring the dismissal and calling Ward to turn back and face her again, forcibly not rolling his eyes. "It's just that before, I had always handled the RSVPs. For the events. That you and- that you would go to. Sir. So I guess I'm not one hundred percent clear on the change lately. Well, I mean, I guess, what are your expectations of my position in that regard? Because they seem to have changed and I just want to make sure that everything you expect of me is getting done. I don't want to miss sending a response when you intend to go to an event or anything is all." Despite the stumbling over her words, she kept her demeanor respectable and Ward was grateful for it.

He blinked at her and shrugged, "Honestly, I don't really have any expectations on that front. I figured I would just take care of it. After all, why add fuel to the rumor mill by going through unnecessary channels?"

A hurt look flashed across her eyes before being replaced again. "Ru- I do not gossip, Mr. Meachum!"

At the same time, Ward backtracked on himself, "I'm not calling you unnecessary!"

They both winced at the mess the conversation had turned into. _And today seemed like it would go alright._

Ward cleared his throat and glanced at the door beyond her, "I will let you know which scheduled events I intend to attend and you may respond to any invitations that come this way accordingly."

Megan stared at the coat rack to the side before clipping out a brief "Yes, sir." and turning tail and putting an end to the encounter.

 _That was painful._ Ward slouched into his desk chair before picking up the first envelope from the pile.

His first hour went by quickly, as it tends to do for him and by 7:30 he was sitting in a meeting listening to pharmaceutical innovation ideas from a small research branch. At least he was until Megan poked her head through the door, a tense, apologetic smile stuck on her face.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Meachum, you have a visitor and it's urgent."

He cocked his head to the side before nodding at the speaker and the rest of the group. "Excuse me and please continue." Ward stood up, warily following Megan into the hallway. He spoke quietly, his tone low, "Who is it?"

Megan glanced nervously at her boss, "You remember that Kay girl with that Eva woman the other day? The one who wanted you to mentor her?"

 _Do I remember Kay?_ Ward felt his lips twitch up before considering how anxious Megan appeared. "Yes, of course. Why? Is she here? Has something happened?"

Megan turned her wide, nervous eyes to Ward and gave a vague shrug before stopping in front of his office.

Ward narrowed his eyes at her before opening the door and stepping in.

Kay jumped from the couch and rushed to him. He thought for a moment that she was going to throw herself at him, much like Joy did when she was little and afraid. He braced himself but she stopped in front of him, mascara lightly smeared under her haunted eyes. His voice was a low rumble. "Kay? What's wrong? What happened?"

"Someone took Eva!" Her voice was too loud and sounded forced as she dazedly gazed up at him.

"Eva? What do you mean someone took her?" He gently took hold of her shoulder and guided her back to the couch. He felt the knot in his chest tighten and attributed his miraculously even tone to the shear shit storm that he had been raised in.

She sat for a mere second before popping back up to her feet and pacing a short distance away before coming back to him. Her eyes were full of rage. "I was there. I was right there in the shop when it happened. They just didn't see me. At least, I think they didn't see me? I don't know. But the shop was closed still. Locked up tight. And I was napping on one of the couches behind some bookshelves and Eva was in the kitchen doing whatever and I heard a click and the door opened and I could see through the shelves- these people came in and they were dressed in black and it sounds crazy but I swear to god they had swords and this tiny, old, Asian lady started talking to Eva and she said something about 'long awaited leverage' over you then she threw something and Eva collapsed and one of the guys picked her up and they left and I didn't do a goddamn thing, Ward. I didn't help her. I should have helped her!" By the end of the rampage, her voice was more of a broken wail.

Megan rushed in with tissues and water just as Kay lobbed her face into his chest and burst into sobs. Megan coaxed Kay off of Ward as he stared blindly at the wall, jaw clenched and frozen. His hands fell from Kay's shoulders as she stepped away, now blubbering into the tissues as Megan cradled her against her shoulder.

"When did this happen?" he murmured.

Kay sniffed, "Around 3 this morning." She dropped her gaze in shame, "I was too afraid to leave for a bit before coming here. And I didn't have your number to call."

 _Shit. It's already been at least four hours._ "It's alright." Ward blindly stared at the door before closing it and focusing back on her. "It'll be okay. Do you know how to use a gun?" He felt like he was watching himself, hearing himself speak without thinking.

Kay's voice was broken and bubbled when she looked up at him, "What?"

"Do you, know how to use, a gun?" He asked once more, facing her. _I must look so calm to them._ He felt a disconnect as he watched himself walk to his desk and unlock the bottom drawer, pulling a pistol and two magazines from it's confines before returning to the women.

Kay was wiping away her snot and tears, she seemed a little more in control though her eyes still watered freely. "A gun, no. I've never-" A shiver racked her body as Ward calmly sat next to the two on the couch and pulled his phone from his suit pocket.

"I am going to call someone to help protect you. He is going to take you to a safe house, and he will stay with you there. You may use whatever you like in the apartment." He could hear himself speaking but felt strangely disinterested in the words.

Kay sat up straighter, "What? No, Ward, we should go to the police. Together. I was a witness and they sounded-"

"Kay!" She stopped speaking in favor of staring back at him. "Kay, I know who these people are. And I know who can help." Her shoulders sagged with relief and he rested a hand on one. "But it's not the police and I need for you to be somewhere safe while I take care of it."

Megan sat next to Kay staring adamantly at the floor, her arms around Kay. Her jaw twitched as she glanced at Ward before looking back at the floor.

Ward nodded, seemingly to himself, "Shannon is my head of security. He'll stay in the apartment with you while I get help to-"

Kay jumped back off the couch, "No, Ward! If I'm getting locked in some fucking safe room, you stay with me, not some random! They are targeting **you**! **You** need to be kept safe just as much as I do! Oh hell. We should go to the police!"

Ward stood up with her, "What makes you think they aren't in the police?!" His tone was sharp and no longer controlled as he finally seethed with anger. Finally feeling like he was back in his own body. "I have spent **months** just trying to clear my own company of this **disease.** I can guarantee you that the police **cannot** be of service to us in this instance because they are just as corrupt as the rest of this **fucking** city and I will be **damned** if we waste precious time with them. I will be **damned** if Harold poisons this for me too!"

Megan didn't move on the couch, keeping her eyes down and seeming to opt for invisibility rather than being a part of the conversation. Her gaze flicked to the portrait though.

Kay had flinched at Ward's outburst as he pushed his hair back and selected the security speed dial for Shannon. He turned away, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose until Shannon answered his call. "To my office. Now." He hung up and turned to look at Kay and Megan and crossed his arms, he glanced uneasily to portrait leaning against the wall, the picture still hidden. He pulled his phone up again and dialed Danny. There was no answer. He briefly looked at his sister's name in the contacts list before pocketing his phone.

Ward turned to Kay again and held the pistol in front of him. "Here's the safety. At the moment, it's on. Flick it to turn the safety off. Try it now." He grabbed her hand and set the handle of the weapon in her palm. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Kay, I need you to focus right now. You said the woman wanted leverage over me so I need to know that you can be safe while I get Eva. I need you to keep up with me on this." Her lip trembled as she looked from him to the gun and back. "Can you do this with me?"

She nodded shakily and flicked the safety back and forth with delicate, trembling fingers. "Off and on," she confirmed.

Ward nodded back to her, "Good," he took the gun away and produced a magazine from his pocket. "These are the clips. Each one has eight bullets. You load the gun," he clicked the magazine into place, "like so. You'll have to push hard enough to feel it click into place and make sure the safety is on when loading. You disarm the gun by pressing this lever and pulling the chamber." He demonstrated each step and popped the clip back out before offering it back to her. "Now show me."

She mimicked each of his instructions perfectly, her eyes glazed over as she offered the gun back to him.

He shook his head and handed her the second magazine. "To shoot, just make sure it has ammo and the safety is off. Then point and pull the trigger." She shivered at his last instruction and he gently placed his hands on her shoulders again, "Hey. Kay, Shannon will be with you the whole time. You will be in a fortified apartment with everything you need and no way for unwanted guests to get in. The gun is just an extra measure, okay? Just so that **you** have a personal weapon. Alright? Keep it on you. Make Shannon help you practice with it. I can almost promise you that you won't need it." He noticed her wince at the 'almost promise.' "Hey, it's mostly to make me feel better, okay? You won't actually have to use it."

She looked up at him with shining eyes and nodded mutely as a tall, fierce eyed man stepped into the room and took in the scene. Ward turned to him, "Kay, this is my head of security, Shannon. Shannon, Kay." The man nodded and Ward looked back to Kay who nodded silently again. _Fuck. Can I not just not destroy peoples' lives?_ He swallowed. "Shannon, take her to safe house #3. Keep her safe and teach her how to use the pistol... if she's up to it." He had dialed Danny's number again, not bothering to pay attention to the ringing and hanging up as it went to voice mail. _Self-centered, useless bastard._

Shannon was looking curiously at the girl before turning back and nodding, "Yes, sir." He took a step towards the door and looked for Kay to follow him.

She was staring up at Ward. "What about you?"

Ward held back a sigh, "I'm going to contact some resourceful friends. And then we'll go from there."

Kay snatched his phone from his hand as he moved to guide her from the room, "You will keep me updated, you bastard. At least one text every two hours. Or I will shoot your pretty face with your own damn gun when I next see it." For all her furious talk, her hands shook as she input her contact information to his phone and texted herself to quickly have his number. She glared up at him as she handed him his phone back and he felt the corner of his mouth perk up. _Atta girl._ He caught himself and despaired. _She shouldn't need to do this. She shouldn't need this praise. I'm the fucking cancer of my own life._ His lips tightened and he nodded, pushing her towards Shannon. She glanced back at him and Megan with fearful eyes before following the dark man out of the office.

Ward turned to Megan. "Danny didn't answer when I called. You keep calling him until that moron picks up. Tell him I need help regarding former associates of my father's. Make him call me." He went to a picture on the wall and pulled it to the side, inputting a code and removing two extra pistols, magazines, and a double shoulder holster before turning and looking at Megan again. She sat on the couch in despondence. _Christ, can someone else have it all together too? Please?_ "Hey. Megan." She turned her face to him finally, blinking back tears on a relatively calm face. _Oh for crying out loud. Why does this have to be so goddamn hard?_ "Did you hear me?" He kept his voice soft, but couldn't keep the tension from it.

She nodded her head stoically. "Yeah, ca-" her voice broke and she coughed to clear her throat. "Call Mr. Rand, tell him you need help from your father's previous associates. Have him call you directly." She glanced at portrait turned towards the wall again before forcing her eyes back to her employer.

He nodded back to her. "Good. I'm going to see our P.I., Ms. Jones. Once you contact Danny, cancel my appointments for today and the next two days." He snapped the clips into place on the guns before shrugging his suit jacket off and putting holster straps on to hide the guns under his jacket. "After that, you take some time off. Don't go to the police." He gave her a stern look before softening, she looked like a wreck. He cleared his throat. "I don't think you're unsafe at all, we've kept a fairly business relationship. You've kept us professional very well." He forced a slight smile.

Megan blinked and sniffled at the offhand praise before squaring her shoulders. "I should have a raise."

Ward barked a semi-hysterical laugh. "I agree, let's talk about it next Monday. Eva also told me to get you a holiday gift with the bonus. So, you know, stuff to look forward to." He slid his jacket back on and walked out the door, leaving a frowning assistant alone in his office without a goodbye.

Ward refused to fidget as he rode the elevator up in the dingy apartment building. He hadn't actually been here before and as he stepped passed the morose, red haired, gypsy-looking woman sitting in the hall, he didn't think he wanted to come back either. At the end of the hall was a busted door. He paused here before knocking against the door frame and pushing through the cardboard covered door. "Hello?" He looked over the messy apartment. The desk was covered in booze bottles. _So this is the supreme private investigator's lair?_ He heard a rummaging from another room off to the side. "Ms. Jones?" He followed the noise into a hallway until a woman with long dark hair and wide, dark eyes stumbled around the corner, tugging on a dark tank top. She reeked of alcohol. Ward kept his hands folded in front of him and his shoulders straight as he waited for her to get her bearings. _Who am I to judge? But seriously? Day drunk? On today of all days? Just my fucking luck._

Her eyes traveled from his shoes, up his legs, over his torso and finally made it to his face. It seemed to take effort. She grinned a crocodile smile. "Well if it isn't Mr. Ward Meachum! My most profitable client! To what do I owe the pleasure?" _So this really is Jessica Jones... I was hoping I was on the wrong floor..._

He rolled his eyes, praying to whatever gods existed for patience as he followed her back out to her office area. "I have a time-sensitive job for you of the damsel in distress variety. Sober up quickly. I believe it was an organization that goes by the name The Hand."

Jessica paused in digging through her bottles and looked up at him. "Oh. That is most definitely not your normal request- Hey, money's not an issue for you. I'll take it! Who's the lucky girl?" She booted up her laptop before going to the dirty kitchen and filling a dirty cup with water.

 _There are probably all sorts of undiscovered antibiotic molds in this place._ Ward frowned as his eyes traveled the room. "Eva Beaumont. She owns a-"

"Coffee shop! Yeah! She's cute. Sweet too. Rough history though. But I like her, so good on you. Why is she in distress?"

Ward narrowed his eyes at the woman. _Does she just keep tabs on people or has someone been paying her to watch me?_ He shifted his stance, deciding to follow up on that later. "An employee of hers came by my office this morning stating that a group of men in black with swords and a 'tiny, old, Asian lady' abducted her while saying something about wanting leverage over me. We have not gone to the police- for obvious reasons. I need you to figure out where they've taken her."

Jones studied him from her slouched position on her desk chair. "And then get her back, right?"

Ward furrowed his brow and shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from tapping his fingers. "I didn't realize you did retrieval as well." He paused to consider it and she jumped in.

"Oh yeah, I provide lots of services."

Ward's gaze flicked to the bottles lining her arms' reach, "Including day drinking. Are you actually capable and competent right now?" Uncertainty bled into his voice with the question. "Perhaps you should give me a referral."

She stood up and approached him, her gait fairly steady now as she slipped on the jacket from her chair and looped a scarf around her neck. "I assure you, Mr. Ward, I have got this. We can discuss compensation later, since time is of the essence. I'll call you when I have her."

His face hardened, "Hell no. I'm going with you."

Her placating smile fell as she turned directly to him. "Mr. Meachum, I appreciate the concern you have for your lady friend, but if the Hand is truly involved, you need to understa-"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Jones. Don't start." Ward turned his back to Jessica before walking out the door. "I'll drive," he called over his shoulder.

Jessica frowned before following after. "K... But we are going to a police station." At the glare he tossed over his shoulder, she clarified. "We'll need traffic footage..."

In an office that felt entirely too small in a precinct that was entirely too busy, Ward, Jessica, and an officer hunched over a computer screen watching footage from traffic cameras.

They followed an SUV with tinted windows from the front of the small coffee shop to a warehouse on the waterfront using the staticy video. Jessica and the officer frowned. She straightened her back, hearing a pop and wincing. "Okay, so now we just figure out who owns that fortress and the-"

"The Rand Corporation owns that building and I think three of the buildings surrounding it." Ward's tone was even as Jessica raised an eyebrow at him, taking in the neutral face and steady gaze. He shuffled his feet, "My father had dealings with them while he still had control of the company." _Which is more recent than you may realize._ He took out his phone and sent a quick text to Kay.

Jessica hummed acknowledgement. "I guess we go to you for the blueprints and layout then." She continued watching his face as he nodded back to her. She motioned to the officer who looked at them both expectantly.

Ward raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Jessica raised her own eye brows and dipped her head to the officer.

"Oh, right." Ward withdrew his wallet from his suit and deposited a small collection of bills in the officer's waiting hand. "Very well. Let's get moving." He turned and walked out of the office.

Jessica met the officer's eyes and shrugged, before thanking him and following Ward out, feeling like a side-kick on her own job. Or maybe a tutor. She smirked to herself, picturing the spoiled, silver-spoon man in her shoes.

The receptionist stood up as Ward briskly entered the lobby followed by a quiet Jessica.

"Mr. Meachum, I thought you weren't returning today."

Ward didn't look at her as he walked passed, mumbling about plans being fluid.

Jessica smiled at the confused looking woman as she pointed to Ward's back and picked up her pace to keep up with the long-legged man.

They ended up in an archives room where Ward calmly lead the way to a shelf in the back corner and shuffled through paper tubes before pulling one and tugging the cap off the end. He slid a set of blueprints out and spread them on a small table in the center of the dim room.

Jessica tugged on a chain hanging from a lamp by the table. "So you knew exactly where that was." She watched his face as he smoothed the blueprints out.

"It was a frustrating acquisition." He didn't look at her.

She tilted her head, "So why acquisition it?"

Ward blinked before turning his steady gaze up to her. "That's an excellent question. If you see my father, ask him."

She frowned, "Isn't your dad dead?"

Ward returned to looking at the maps before murmuring "I sure hope so."

Jessica's frown deepened.

A ringing pierced the air and they both jumped. Ward drew his phone from his suit pocket and saw Danny's name on the screen. He accepted the call. "Where the fuck have you been?" He didn't mean to start off sounding so angry.

" _Whoa, hey. I didn't have my phone with me. Where are you? Are you okay? What's going on?"_

Ward rolled his shoulders and let out an irritated sigh. "I am in Archive Room C at Rand with Ms. Jessica Jones, a P.I. that-"

" _Jessica?! Say hi for me! Will you be there long? Should I meet you there or elsewhere?"_

Ward closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose again before turning to Jessica. "You're the expert in this situation, Jones, will we be here long?"

She was leaning over the blueprints but looked up when he addressed her. "Hm, maybe." Ward's eyes narrowed at her vague response. "Well, you own the buildings, do you have video surveillance inside the warehouses?"

He raised his eyebrows, "I don't actually know." _It was Harold's project. He was home-bound. He would have cameras installed so that he could monitor..._ He paused before letting his eyes drift to the shelves. "How far away from the office are you?"

"3 _0 minutes."_

Ward nodded to shelves, "Meet us in the security offices. We need to see if there is any video feed from a warehouse." He nearly hung up before Danny's frantic voice stopped him.

" _Wait! What's going on? And where are the security offices?"_

Ward hissed into the phone, "Did you even pay attention during anything while you were here before?" Silence met him. _Fuck._ He took a deep breath. "Sorry. The Hand kidnapped a friend of mine and a witness said they wanted to use her as leverage, but they haven't tried contacting me yet."

" _Oh no. Ward, I'm so sorry this happening. We'll save her though. Especially with Jessica's help. You know she has super strength?! It's insane!"_

Ward rolled his eyes at his not-friend's optimism and turned to look at the tiny woman peering over the blueprints. _Super strength? Her? Of course. Naturally._ "Duly noted. The security offices are on the tenth floor. We'll most likely end up in..." He shook his head at the ceiling. "Ohhh, god damn it, room 1014 I think? No, just go to my office, we'll meet you there." He hung up before approaching the table and rolling the blueprints up. "Come on," he told his companion, "we can take it with us."

She raised her eyebrows at him again and shrugged, trailing behind him as he lead the way.

Stepping out of the elevators on the tenth floor, Ward swiped his badge in front of a key card reader. The tiny light on the box turned green and he held the door for Jessica. She smirked at him as she stepped through the doorway. The smirk fell at the number of monitors and computer towers throughout the massive room, each marked with a number on the back and front of the monitor. She turned to look at Ward who had the blueprints tucked under his arm as he flipped through pages in a binder.

Ward looked up across the room, ignoring the looks of random security personnel. His eyes landed on one and he quietly suggested they go to it. Jessica followed along, still feeling like a side-kick. "Do most CEOs know how to find specific security footage in their multinational companies so readily?" She softly murmured to Ward as they took seats in front of the chosen console.

He paused before deciding to ignore the question and pulled up the list of available feeds on that monitor. If he noticed her newly wary look, he didn't comment and instead pulled up a screen with multiple windows spaced throughout and a tab along the left listing different cameras. He started at the top, methodically moving down the list as he brought each feed into a larger picture so that they could check for activity.

There were at least two dozen men and women dressed in black through out the warehouse sitting at tables, practicing combat, playing cards. No sign of a small, old, Asian woman though. Ward froze pulling one feed up. It was blurry but there was a short-haired woman in street clothes laying on a cot, a medical IV pole standing nearby. "There." His voice was a low breath of air as he stared at the screen. "She's not moving..." Dread encased the knot in his chest.

Jessica shifted in her seat beside him, leaning forward for a better view. "Well... On the way over you'd said your witness told you the old lady threw something at her and she collapsed. She's probably just drugged. I mean, look, there's even an IV."

Ward leaned back in his seat and glanced at the P.I. before looking back to the screen. "You're right..." He nodded a disconcerted agreement. "Probably just drugged." He watched, waiting to see her chest rise and fall with breathing, but the feed was too blurry.

"Hey," Jessica stood up and tapped his shoulder. "We know where she's at now. We know the camera that has eyes on her, we can figure out it's spot in the blue prints. We'll get the dream team together and your girl will be fine. Right as rain. Piece o' cake." She turned and headed for the door.

Ward took one last glimpse at the screen before exiting the feed and returning the screen to the desktop. _She's right. And Danny'll be here soon. The three of us will get Eva back safe and sound fine. Just like Jones says._ He followed Jessica back to the elevators and the two headed to the upper offices.

Jessica followed Ward into his office where he paused at the doorway. Danny lounged inside on the couch along with a man in dark glasses with a cane and a passive expression on his face. Danny jumped up from the couch when the two walked in. "Ward! Long time no see!"

Jessica took in the small group, noting the tension in Ward as Danny hugged the taller man. "Where's Luke?" She wandered over to the wet bar sitting in a corner of the office and started sniffing the decanters.

Danny frowned in his hug before stepping back and looking at Jessica, "He said he was busy with something but would touch base with-"

Jessica turned a grimace to Danny, "Busy? Serious?"

"To be fair," the blind man passively interjected, "it was short notice and not a lot of information to go off of."

"Who's he?" The three vigilantes paused and turned to Ward who was staring at Matthew Murdock dubiously. When silence met him he looked to Danny.

"Um," his younger not-friend began, "he's..."

The blind man frowned, "I'm helpful. You can call me Matt."

Ward tilted his chin up, "Murdock? The lawyer?" He glanced at Jessica and saw her wince at the same moment Matt did. _Why was he sounding cryptic? No one has time for that bullshit. More importantly-_ "Danny, why do you feel we need a lawyer right now?" He kept his tone even, but even he could hear the impatience that simmered underneath.

Danny shifted his weight, looking to Matt, who looked equally uncomfortable. "Well," he drew his words out, "legal counsel?"

Jessica snorted into her glass as she took a sip of Ward's bourbon. "He's Daredevil." Matt stood up briskly, a betrayed expression on his face as Jessica continued, "There, it's done. Don't look at me like that, you were holding up the rodeo."

Ward eyed the white and red cane with guarded eyes before shaking his head, "Regardless, we have video footage from the warehouse that Eva is being held and blue prints. When we checked the security cameras," he was laying the blue prints out on his desk when they all paused at a chime. Ward continued, "When we checked the security feed, there were roughly two dozen Hand in the building." He looked over the map with Danny and Jessica as the small women pointed to where the camera sat that had shown them Eva. The chime dinged again and Ward froze. _You're a fool._ He let go of the blueprints and lightly shoved Danny away from the desk before taking a seat and pushing his hair back.

He moved his mouse and the screen came to life. An incoming video call was pending. Jessica frowned before nodding to Ward and stepping to the side. Matt stood out of view on the other side of the desk.

Ward accepted the call and a face flitted on to his screen, worn by time with crow's feet by her smiling eyes and dark grey hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"There you are, Ward. I had been trying to contact you all morning." She gave a light sigh, "But you are a busy man and can't be expected to be at your computer at all hours." She smiled a saccharine smile into the call.

Ward frowned, glancing at the wide-eyed look on Danny's face before drawing his eyes back to the screen. "I'm sorry, you seem to have me at a disadvantage."

The smile grew in place. "You may call me Madame Gao. I knew your father, the monster that he was unfortunately, and I must say that now that you are in full control of Rand, well, I have been looking forward to working with you."

Ward swallowed but kept an impassive look on his face. "And why do you presume we will be working together? You must know that I have recently been cutting all my father's previous contracts short." His tone was tense and clipped.

The old woman grinned and gave a beautiful, droll laugh. "Yes, yes, I do know this, you're right. But this is a contract that one must honor. And I truly have been looking forward to it. For all his claims, you are a better candidate than he ever was. He had the potential to be all that you are, but his soul was fractured long before we allowed him to become undying."

Ward's face paled as he listened to the women, he turned his head to the side, still staring into screen. His voice was a deep growl, "I have no interest in working for the Hand."

The smile remained on Madame Gao's face but she spoke strictly, "Oh my dear Ward, you do not have a choice." The camera turned and Eva came in to view, she was laying on a cot as a man approached her and injected something through a port on an IV.

Ward shifted in his seat.

The woman continued speaking off screen, "You know, I was worried for a while." The screen shifted back to her. "You weren't forming connections after everyone abandoned you." He squared his shoulders. "You stayed all alone in your ivory tower, no family left, no friends. No one left for me to use against you. You seemed to be acting as a place holder, waiting for young Mr. Rand to return and claim his company that you so hate. What would you do, young Ward, if you weren't so tied down? I think you'd be happy to disappear from the world all together." She tutted and shook her head as Danny furrowed his brow at Ward. "But of course I was right in the beginning. With family and friends like that, as soon as they were gone, of course you would try to find someone. It's human nature to fight drowning. And you were left to drown for so much of your life." She shook her head with pity, "Well, a drowning man will cling to what he can. We shall build my empire together, and you will come to love us as your family. You won't be alone anymore. And Ward, we won't let you drown like they did."

Ward clenched his jaw and leaned away from the screen and growling, "What are your demands?"

"Now Ward," she smiled, "there is no reason to be so on guard with me. No reason to take that tone. I will treat you better than your father ever has. You just need to follow the orders we provide you. Such as performing a corporate takeover of the Ellisor archaeological research company down on 16th. You can even get started now since you are at the office!"

Ward hummed lowly, "And Eva?"

"Oh I shall take care of her for a few weeks until I know that I can count on you." Her voice was arrogant, already certain of her success.

Jessica wrote a note and held it beside the computer screen. " _Take the deal. Element of surprise."_

Ward frowned and leaned forward, looking at his hands before he spoke slowly with a nod. "How many weeks is a few weeks?"

The smile remained on her face, but it shifted, becoming colder, "As many as you need to decide where your loyalty lies. Get me Ellisor, Ward. Then we shall speak again. Who knows?" The smile became playful, "Maybe Eva won't be so sleepy next time."

Ward glared into the screen.

"I cannot assure you enough that working **with** me will be infinitely better than with your father." She smiled pleasantly once more. "I honestly don't expect you'll ever get the urge to gut **me** like a fish **or** shoot me off a tower and burn my corpse."

Ward shifted uncomfortably, not acknowledging the confused looks on the other three's faces.

"Take care, young Mr. Meachum. And don't forget about Ellisor on 16th Street." The video cut out.

Ward hastily turned his computer off and stood up, looking to the group.

Danny was still frowning at the screen before he looked back at Ward. "You don't like working here?"

Ward glared at the younger man, "Not now, Danny. What is your plan for getting to Eva?" He glanced at Jessica as he dug around in his desk, pocketing a small syringe of Narcan his sister had left in his desk following his accidental overdose.

But Danny wasn't done, "You feel like we abandoned you? I needed to finish my training, Ward. I'm the immortal-"

"Yes," Ward snapped, "I know, you're the fucking Iron Fist. You've said. Now Jones, what's the plan for saving Eva? You're the expert, right?" He pushed his hair back, glancing at Jessica and ignoring the curious expression on Matt's face.

She frowned as everyone turned to her. "Oh, uh, well we have three solid fighters. Two of us-"

"I'm coming with you." Ward interjected.

Jessica rolled her eyes, "We have three solid fighters and a suicidal gun toter." She smiled at his wince. "One of us should distract the masses, a second should distract Gao. You two have more experience with that bitch by the way and she sounds so pleasant, so I'm nose goes for that one. The third will accompany Romeo here to fetch Eva."

Danny moved to volunteer but Ward cut him off, "Jones, you'll come with me. Murdock, if you are the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, you deal with Gao. Danny, just don't get yourself killed. I'll drive." He moved for the door, leaving a smirking Jessica in his wake with a miffed Danny and an uncertain Matt.

"Team Leader has spoken," Jessica stated, "move out."

The elevator ride down the building was painful. Danny turned to Ward in the enclosed space. "So when you said 'not now,' did you mean you don't like it anymore or did you mean we aren't talk-"

"We aren't talking about it." Ward remained still, his hands behind his back and his gaze steely as he looked unseeing at the elevator doors. The space felt to cramped, just as his chest did.

Matt rubbed the handle of his cane with quiet reflection, subtly listening to the sounds of those in the elevator.

Jessica shifted her stance on and off and watched the blond and the tall man standing in the front of the confined space.

Danny nodded, a hurt look floating in his gaze. "Ok, then we can talk about the abandonment thing."

"Good grief," Ward rolled his eyes. "Not now, Danny!"

Danny slouched slightly, "Ok then, later the-"

"No, Danny. Not now, not later. We are not talking about it. It's fine."

Danny was quick in response, "It's not fine! I didn't realize you had felt this way- and your chi is all out of balance-"

Ward fell into sarcasm, "Weren't you listening, Danny? I live out of balance."

Jessica snorted and made a half traded look with Matt.

Danny was not to be deterred, "But why?! I don't understa-"

Ward whirled to face him, snarling, "What? What don't you understand? That you were dead? That I still don't know if Harold had my mother killed? That Heather and Wendell were dead? That I had to kill my own father twice? That you left immediately after that like it was perfectly normal? That Joy-" His voice cracked and he took a heavy breath before turning away from the stunned man and interlocking his hands behind his back. He returned his gaze to the elevator doors. "It's fine. And we aren't talking about it." The doors opened and he stepped out, not looking for them to follow.

The car ride was 40 minutes of silence. Jessica took the front seat while Matt sat stoically in the back with a sulking Danny.


	12. The Power of Teamwork!

**Well this has changed. Maybe I should have tagged it under Defenders... I bet Jessica and Ward could make some pretty great frenemies.**

 **Also, for this being my first fanfic, thank you, mysterious audience, for the views and favorites and follows. It makes my heart go "WAAA!"**

The group quietly slipped out of the company car a building away from the warehouse. Ward had parked between loading containers to keep it from view. Jessica swatted Danny's arm to get his attention. "Alright, so if the blueprints and camera feeds were correct, the girl is in the southeast part of the building along the wall and we will be entering the building through the southern door. So you need to cause a scene at the northwest to draw everyone over. Start that distraction at..." She paused to check the time on her phone, "start that in 10 minutes. We all meet back here after it's done. If it goes south, meet at... I don't know- Danny's."

Danny nodded, being sure not to look at the older man beside him shrugging his suit jacket off and leaving it and the car keys on the drivers seat before sending a text on his phone and silencing it too.

Jessica turned to Matt as he tied a scarf around his face and deposited his glasses and cane in the company car. "You stick with Ward and I until Gao shows up or if Danny seems like he needs help-"

"I won't need help."

Matt nodded at Jessica, his voice level and velvety smooth, "I'll keep an eye out for the both of them."

Jessica shook her head at his phrasing, "And let us know if you hear anyone coming our way." The man nodded and Jessica turned to the tallest in the group. "Alright, I'll lead, you follow. If I say run, you run."

Ward nodded mutely, his face forever calm and slightly condescending as he looked down at her.

Jessica turned and silently stalked along the edge of the building, Ward following along and Matt trailing them both. Danny circled around the other direction, crouched and silent. At the corner of the building, Jessica peaked around the corner. Two lean men sat in metal folding chairs to either side of a door leading into the warehouse. A horn made all of them jump before shouts could be heard and other presumed members sprinted in it's direction. Jessica frowned and glanced at her phone. "Shit, Danny was early." She leaned around the corner once more, the door guards remained in place though they were standing now and watching their surroundings. She sighed. "Alright. Matty, I'm going to throw you at them."

Ward turned and watched Matt stand up straight, indignant despite half his face being hidden. "No. That was hardly effective the first time. I refuse to do it again."

Jessica frowned as Matt lunged up the wall, climbing his way up.

Ward watched in fascination before looking to the small woman. "So he is actually blind, right?"

She gave a tight lipped smile before she turned back to the corner and peaked around. Ward leaned over her to watch, ignoring her huff of irritation.

The devil dropped from the sky, knocking one of the guards out with his fall and backhanding the second in the face before slamming his head to the ground. Matt stood up and dusted his knee off as Jessica and Ward crept out of hiding to join him at the door.

Ward eyed Matt cautiously, "That was effective."

Matt tilted his head and smiled, "Thanks, I try."

Jessica snorted as Ward tested the door, "Oh nah, I got this one." She reached forward and slowly twisted the handle until there was a soft snap and the door eased open.

"That is also effective." Ward kept his face serene as Jessica smirked over at him before leading inside. He drew one of the guns and clicked the safety off, following after. The coast appeared clear. _Seems like Danny's distraction was effective as well... I shouldn't have been so hard on him._ The group trailed soundlessly by crates and tables. Ward did his best to ignore the serpent emblems. He hadn't touched the drug since he was committed, and he didn't want to go back, but he couldn't deny that it called to him.

As they snuck along the three paused at Danny's voice crying out. Ward turned in time to see Matt slip from the group and head in the direction of the chaos. Ward looked forward and met Jessica's eyes, nodding her forward. _And then there were two._ He stifled his unease down as he followed the vigilante towards their goal.

The devil called out, "Madame Gao!" in the distance. Sounds of chaos ensued and Ward and Jessica hesitantly continued on their way until a loud crack split the air.

Danny yelled something about a trap, but his words were lost in the overwhelming din.

However, Gao's voice rang through the air from somewhere ahead of them. "Jessica Jones. Danny Rand. Daredevil. And Ward Meachum." Ward and Jessica looked at each other with wide eyes. "It is nice of you to drop by, but I was not expecting your visit so soon."

The two glanced around before cautiously turning a corner in the maze of crates and there she was. Eva lay on a spartan cot with her hands and feet tethered to the sides. _She's breathing!_ An IV port hung from her arm and a collection of syringes, bottles, and other medical supplies sat on a tray on one of the nearest crates. Ward glanced around before approaching the tray and picking up one of the uncapped bottles. _Morphine?_ He glanced at all the small vials. There were different medications present, but only the Morphine was uncapped. He pulled the Narcan from his pocket as he holstered his gun and moved to Eva but Jessica's hand on his arm stopped him.

"What is that?" She asked softly, eyeing the small syringe of spray.

Ward held it up for her to see better. "Naloxone. It's an antagonist for sedatives. It should wake her a bit." His hushed voice full of impatience.

Jessica kept her hand on his arm and shook her head. "We should get her out of here first. She might make noise and draw attention while waking up."

Ward frowned at the woman before swallowing his desire for Eva to be awake. He slowly agreed as he shot furtive looks to their surroundings. "That would be practical." He pocketed the syringe as Jessica pinched the tight bindings on the other woman's wrists and ankles, freeing her limbs. Once Eva was free, he pulled gauze from the tray and quietly tore it open before pulling the IV out of Eva's arm. He pressed the gauze to the small bleed before wiping it away and hefting her up with him. Jessica sneered at Ward's careful movements and turned to lead back the way they had entered only to come face to face with a man in dark clothes stepping around the corner.

"Here!" He shouted before Jessica grabbed his shoulder and punched him in the gut. The man crumpled and didn't stand, clutching his abdomen and writhing in pain.

She turned to Ward, "Quick!"

Gao's voice split the air, seemingly louder than before. "Young Mr. Meachum, why don't you stay and we may talk business!"

Ward frowned and gave a slight shrug at Jessica's curious glance.

"You know, Ward," Gao declared conversationally, "it has become clear to me that you may have stronger morals than your father after all- which would not be hard, but I am still so proud of you! Do you know, that I have watched you most of your life?"

Ward furrowed his brow as he followed Jessica closely and nearly toppled over her when she abruptly stopped and listened. Jessica turned to him and mouthed 'More just around the corner, back up!' The two back tracked, choosing another path through the walls of boxes. He tried not to sympathize with rats in mazes.

"In fact," Gao resumed, "you could probably think of me as your godmother! I was there! Even back when you were a beaten, little boy, hiding your bruises behind long sleeves and contempt."

Ward grit his teeth and hefted Eva further up to balance out the weight, ignoring the brief look Jessica shot him.

Gao's voice moved as though she were hunting them. _What happened to Matt?_ "I saw it all, you sweet, little boy. How you rose from your broken and bloodied ashes, time and again. Taking Harold's attention so that your beloved little sister would remain pristine and uninjured in her ignorance."

He flicked his eyes over his shoulder. He felt like she was right there, but the coast was clear.

"You were always so brave. So stalwart in keeping her safe no matter the cost to you. Protecting her from the truth of your father. You do your namesake proud..."

Ward glared at Jessica's back as he mutely trotted after her, desperate to not listen to the thoughtful tone that grew in the old woman's voice.

"Do you ever wonder if you take after him?"

The air shook out of his lungs as though he'd been punched in the stomach and his steps faltered.

Jessica turned to look back at him. Seeing his pale face and the haunted look in his eyes as he searched the area behind them. "Hey, hey!" she tugged on his arm. "Here, give her to me, you go ahead and I'll bring up the rear."

He gazed at her with suspicion for a moment before nodding and releasing Eva into her arms. She easily maneuvered the other woman into a fireman's carry before nodding for Ward to continue.

Gao was still speaking, "Do you ever wonder, if just perhaps, your soul broke just as much as his? Do you wonder if you are a monster too?"

His hands trembled at his sides. _I've always been a monster._

"I will always be honest with you, Ward. You are not a beast like he was. You were a child, born into brutality and forced to adapt. For survival! For your sister! Chaos has tempered your life, but you will never be faced with bodies and bloody teeth again."

Ward had to force himself to keep breathing and he felt Jessica nudge his arm.

"You will never have to worry about whether or not there is blood on your hands. I will take care of everything for you, Ward." Her voice had a lilting quality to it that he could not ignore. "Do you remember when your father died the first time?"

He swallowed a stone in his throat. He cast his gaze up as he cautiously walked on. _Is she above us? She sounds like she's right here._

"The funeral was the first time I saw a true smile on your face, Ward. Your Joy, of course, was in pieces in your arms. But didn't you feel so free? Free from the terror-"

"Hey," Jessica stood in front of him and he blinked. _When did I stop walking?_ "Hey, stop listening to her." He stared down at her, slack-jawed and shaking against the wooden crates. "Ward, I mean it," she urged and he vaguely registered shouts in the background. "Look at me. Listen to me." She pushed. "We are going to get out of here. We will meet up with the boys and-"

"-Joy will be safe." Gao's voice was still lilting in the air. "You have won, Ward! You're acts of patricide have finally freed you from the horror in your life."

He shook his head to clear it before schooling his features and nodding at Jessica, only for his eyes to widen at the woman's next words.

"Of course, we could always bring him back. It's what Joy wants."

His sank to his knees as his vision swirled.

"No, no, no!" Jessica crouched in front of him taking in the pallor and sheen of sweat. "Stop it, Ward. She can't do that, no one can do that." She reached forward with one hand and rested it on his shoulder, shaking him carefully, "Ward, look at me. Hey, hey! What street did you used to live on? Tell me the streets you took to and from school each day. Come on, Ward!"

His glazed eyes drifted to her face. "He can't come back."

Jessica nodded, eyes perturbed. "Exactly, no one can come back from-"

"No." The dark haired woman paused and looked at him curiously. "No, he can't come back because I will not allow it." His jaw clenched as he stood up briskly. "I'll kill her first myself. He will not come back again."

Confusion and irritation flashed across Jessica's eyes. "No, Ward. We have to get Eva out and you are coming with me. The plan, Ward. Follow the fucking plan!"

"You don't understand." His voice was a viciously broken growl, low and raw, his body feverish as he towered above her. "If there is even a chance for that **demon** to scratch his way out of hell again, he will do it. Harold cannot be allowed to come back." His hair fell to his glistening, black eyes that were alight with a terrified, fanatical flame. "It **cannot** be left to chance! He's a plague. He's the cancer. The insidious disease! He-"

"No." Jessica clamped her free hand around his wrist. "Nuh uh. You're coming with me." She yanked him along, ignoring his snarled threats and frustrated demands to release him.

Neither had noticed that Gao's voice had gone silent during their exchange though, and as the two turned a corner there they froze in shock as they came face to face with the frail looking woman. "Ward Anthony Meachum!" An endearing, lop-sided smile graced her lips as she smoothly raised one hand from her cane to her lips and blew out a puff of air. A powder fluttered out of her hand, surrounding Ward's face as he choked on the dust. Gao grinned with an arrogant confidence, "You are claimed!"

Jessica pulled him away from the chalky cloud and bolted down narrow paths between the giant wooden crates, a stumbling, hacking Ward behind her. She dashed through the door and into the sunlight, but refused to stop. She ran down a random street before turning, jerking Ward to her shoulder and pushing off the ground. They tumbled haphazardly on to a roof two stories up and she scrambled to keep a hold so that none of the three would slide down to the ground.

"Oofta!" She softly exclaimed with a harsh whisper. "Well, Meachum, that was more wild than I anticipated. You sure know how to show a-" She paused her rambling as she stared at the long-limbed man next to her. He lay where he landed, chest rising and falling steadily, eyes open and staring up at the robin's egg sky. _Yup, he's still pretty but shit oh shit something is so wrong with his eyes right now._ His expression was calmer than she'd ever seen and he held no tension in his body but a discoloration was appearing in the whites of his eyes, strange dark spots at first, turning into thin grey veins leading to and from his iris and eyelids in random patterns. "Meachum? Shit, oh fuck. Hey, Ward?" He didn't respond. Gingerly letting go of his wrist and ignoring the bruising already forming from her mad dash death grip and the funny angle of his arm, she lightly poked his shoulder. He rolled his head towards her, otherwise unresponsive. "Okay..." She stared down at him, waiting. He didn't move again. "Okay. That's not creepy."

Jessica turned to her other body burden and gently eased the woman off her shoulder. Eva squirmed nonsensically before going limp once more. "Okay." Jessica looked between the two bodies. "Shit." She nearly escaped her skin when a hand clawed at the roof. At first she thought she had been followed but a poorly fashioned mask slid into view as Matt hoisted himself up on the roof to join them.

"Hey, I heard your swearing," the devil taunted with a playful smirk. "Does he know how much you like him?"

"Shut up," she did a quick look over of her friend and was happy to note minimal visible injuries. "There's something wrong with his eyes." She leaned back over the tall man as he slowly blinked and returned to his statuesque state.

"How so? Like he's blind? Doesn't think you're pretty? Bleeding? You'll have to be more specific." Matt crouched next to the small group and placed a hand on Ward's skin, furrowing his brow.

Jessica fidgeted, keeping a hold on Eva. "He's got dark lines in the whites. And he's just staring at nothing."

"Weird."

"No shit."

Matt poked Ward's shoulder and Ward lethargically turned his head towards Matt. "Very weird. His heart sounds different too. And his breathing. Everything's too relaxed for him. He does not strike me as a typically relaxed man... And I think," Matt pawed at the man's shoulders, before humming, "his arm's dislocated, I wonder who did that... Even his temperature has cooled... What happened?"

 _Oh, oops. Sorry, guy._ Jessica winced before bracing Ward's shoulder and tugging lightly on his arm, hearing a pop as it slid back in place. She and Matt waited for a reaction from the downed man. He gave only silence. The small vigilante looked up at Matt, her voice distant and bored. "Gao blew something in his face and he was trying to hack up a lung while we not so sneakily escaped." She hefted Ward over one of her shoulders, trying to balance him without dragging his long body on either side.

Matt frowned, "Yeah... I heard the coughing." He cocked his head for a moment before picking up the smaller of the two bodies. "She's cute. And still unconscious. She must be Eva."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Yep, let's head to the car. You know where Danny went?"

"Nope. But I **think** he got away to the south. Maybe he'll double back to the car."

Jessica rolled her eyes again. _They will roll out of my skull if the idiocy continues. "_ He was supposed to be on the opposite side of the place."

Matt winced, "There were a lot more than two dozen Hand there."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow as she slid off the roof, bracing herself to land in a crouch, careful not to drop her lanky, comatose cargo. _Weird, I only saw the two, wait no, three._ She watched Matt take smaller descents from the building, landing on shipping containers and crates before reaching the ground, gently cradling the woman against him. "And was Gao happy to see you?"

Matt jogged lightly to catch up with her quick walk a frown on his lips. "There's a lot I don't understand about her..." He jerked his head to the man she had flung over her shoulders. "So what do you think of him?"

Jessica smirked, "Eh, too pretty. Probably bats for the other team." That got her a snort of laughter from her only conscious companion before she let her smirk slip. "Really, I have no idea. He seemed a bit shady before, and after hearing all the crap Gao was saying to him- But Danny likes him." She took a deep breath. "And no one can be faulted for their childhood- Definitely explains the asshole attitude though." She noticed Ward's blank stare boring into her and cleared her throat, jostling her shoulder. His head lolled the other direction. _That was just unsettling._ "What about you?"

Matt was quick to reply, "I could see him and I catching a movie." Jessica barked a short laugh. "However," he continued, "what I did hear was pretty dark. I mean, he killed his own dad? I thought the guy had jumped from Rand Tower."

Jessica shrugged under her load, "Guess not."

"And what was that about bodies and teeth?"

Jessica shifted the weight again, grimacing. "Well, I don't think either of us can judge someone about there being bodies and teeth in their past. Regardless," she kept her tone light, "not my business."

The devil hummed his cautious agreement as she peaked around the side of the building to the street. The coast was clear and she tried not to let it bother her too much. "So where is everyone, Matty?"

Matt cocked his head to the side, huffing from carrying an adult for blocks on end. "Um... Not here. There are a few people scattered across the way, but they sound like dockworkers... I think Danny's at the car. At least, someone is. But it sounds like him."

Jessica nodded, "K, let's head over."

The two slipped from cover and jogged the rest of the way to the hidden vehicle sighing in relief as a puppy dog eyed face poked out of the vehicle. The young man slid out of the car and rushed to Jessica, easing the weight off of her and softly calling to his childhood friend before turning on Jessica. "What happened? You were supposed to keep him safe!"

She narrowed her eyes at the childish man, "Yeah, and you were supposed to distract everyone. See how great that turned out?"

Danny glared back at her before glancing back to Ward, "We'll take them to my place. They should be able to recover there. And we can call Claire."

By the time the two were done shoving Ward into the car, they looked over to Murdock. He was buckled in on the other side in the backseat. Eva was buckled in in the middle seat, neatly propped against his side.

"It's okay," glared Jessica, "we didn't need any help."

"Oh good! I was worried. Besides I just got Eva set. I figured you two could handle it. You know. Between you two."

Danny bent Ward's legs as Jessica heaved the torso into a more manageable position. Despite Matt's back talk, he helped position from his side, clipping the buckle in place on the unconscious man.

Danny looked at Jessica and grinned as the door closed. She cut him off, "I'm driving."

The young man's smile fell, "You're just as bad as Ward, you know that? I'm an excellent driver." But he slid in to the passenger's side taking out his phone and dialing Claire's number as the car started up.

The other two alert and oriented of the group decided on resting at Danny's as well. They splayed their two unconscious companions on the giant, unused bed before crowding into the kitchen.

Jessica stretched her shoulders before lounging against the counter, "Alright, so what do we do in the mean time?"

Matt cocked his head to the side, "Is there anyone we should call for him?"

"His sister, Joy." Danny immediately supplied, already reaching for his phone.

Jessica shook her head, causing Danny to look at her in question. "She hasn't been around since Harold died."

Danny gaped, "What?"

She shrugged, "I offered to find her when he contacted me regarding the restructuring of your guys' company, but he refused. I don't think they've spoken since before you left."

Danny's eyes grew wider as she spoke, "Do you know where she is? Is she okay?"

Another shrug. _My arms will fall off too if this keeps up, but I need those to drink. No more shrugging then._ "Didn't look."

Matt turned his head, the sudden movement caught the attention of the other two and they wandered to the den.

Ward was on his feet, barely. He had himself propped against the door frame with his arm, hand clutching his shoulder as he doggedly watched the empty entry way without expression.

The three looked at each other before Danny stepped forward, "Ward? You okay? What're you doing?"

The man slowly turned his head to Danny, the darkened eyes contrasting with the pallor of his face, the dark circles under his eyes creating a haunting sight. Strings of greyish sick hung from his lips. "Danny? What're you doing here still?" He straightened, addressing Danny though he looked slightly to the side.

The three exchanged glances, "We're waiting for Claire. What are you-"

"Don't be an idiot. You and Joy need to leave before he comes back." His voice had no intonation, falling flat in the vast room.

Danny took a step closer, dreading the answer to his question. "Before who comes back?"

The taller man made no movement other than his eyes. They followed Danny, but focused to the side as though the man was looking from his periphery. "You were supposed to go back to your house for your stupid movies tonight. Such a momma's boy. She said you needed to be there for supper. Get out."

Danny tilted his head, "What? Why?" He spoke cautiously, "what are you talking about?"

"You have to leave, dad's had a rough day and it's not a good time for company right now..." The older man remained still for a moment a slight frown ghosting across his face before it smoothed over once more. His voice dropped lower as he continued speaking, keeping the monotone, pattern. "You and Joy are supposed to be gone. For movies at your house. Like..." His voice trailed off and he blinked slowly.

Danny took a hesitant step closer to his childhood friend. "Like what, Ward?"

"You should have stayed dead. You would have been safer for it." He shook his head in a mild manner. "He'll devour you like he devoured me- unless you leave. Before she sees you." His sentences fell flat, sounding broken and disjointed. "I can distract him. Like before. You can take Joy with you. I'll distract him. Like before. Like before. He's so hungry. Like before." His dark eyes bore into the space by Danny's head before slowly blinking, only to resume their staring in the silence.

Danny swallowed and looked back to the others for guidance in this new situation. Jessica slowly approached the two, intentionally stepping in to Ward's off kilter line of sight. "Hey, Ward?" She began belligerently, "Is this about your dad?" The unseeing gaze continued in silence. "He's not coming back this time." She hardened her voice. "He's dead."

Ward cocked his head to the side and frowned, "Of course he's coming back, Danny." The three exchanged glances. "Can't you feel it in the bile at the back of your throat? The knot in your chest?" He turned his head to the darkened hallway. "It's only a matter of time. You need to leave. I won't be able to protect you like before. Like... before." His words were spoken with disinterest as his blackening eyes watched the door at the end of the hall. "I just need to distract him again. Keep his eye off you. Like... She's so hungry. She's so- Like-"

"Like before," Jessica interrupted. "Yeah, we get it." _We really don't get this._ She looked at Danny, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Ellisor?" Ward gasped for breath. The group stared as Ward tilted his head. "I won't-" His body shook violently as he fell to the floor, his knees sounding a loud crack with the contact. He coughed grey phlegm on to the carpet, barely holding himself up on his hands and knees.

Jessica stepped back, nonplussed. "Oh good, gross."

Danny rushed to the fallen man's side while Matt took cautious steps towards the three until he stood beside Jessica. "His heart is going too fast," he whispered to her as the lanky man trembled on the floor. "If this keeps up-"

Another bout of coughing overtook Ward until a thin trail of blood spilled from his ear. He attempted to curl in on himself as he convulsed and hacked. Danny braced his arm, unsure of how to help his older friend until once more, the man stilled, eye's closed, his breathing slowing to a steady, sleepy pace.

The three allies waited in uncertainty with bated breath. The fallen man did not rise again.

Jessica let go of a sigh as Matt and Danny shrugged off a chill. Danny lifted Ward and dragged him back to the bed, returning to lead the group to the kitchen for water bowls and cloths to clean up with.

The dark haired woman shifted her weight before hopping on to the counter to sit. "So," she drew the word out, "what the hell?"

"It had to have been Gao." Danny hissed.

Matt remained still within the group, "It must have been the powder. But what does it do? What was it's purpose?" He waited but received no certain answers.

Danny turned to the two, "When I was in Kun'Lun, the monks taught us about the earth and blood magic the Hand has practiced over the ages, warning us of their dangers."

Jessica scoffed, "There's no such thing as magic."

"You can't rule it out just because you don't believe in it!" He defended.

"Maybe it was a poison of some sort," Matt interjected. "We can all agree that this group is an expert in both, pharmacology and bizarre ancient topics that we don't fully understand." He nodded at the other man. "I propose that you, Danny, use your power to investigate his spirit, or chi, or whatever, and when Claire gets here, she can check his body." He paused for feedback, but neither of his allies spoke. "That way, we cover both fronts."

Danny and Jessica glanced at each other before nodding.

"It is still draining to influence another's chi," Danny admitted, insecurity showing in his eyes for but a moment. "I will do my best."

The three trailed back to the den and to the doorway of the master bedroom before pausing in the doorway. There was only one unconscious body on the bed, and she rested peacefully on the plush, white fabric.

Ward drove the company car directly to his condo, washing the grime from his body before carefully fixing his suit and tie into place and gelling back his hair. He placed sun glasses on the bridge of his nose, concealing the notable discoloration before returning to the vehicle. He left his phone on silent, ignoring the calls from his childhood companion.

He left the car with the valet at the office building and ignored the receptionist as he moved for the elevator, the sun glasses still on his ashen face. He got off on an office floor with a placard naming it 'Mergers and Acquisitions.'

He had a job for them.


	13. Plans A, B, and C

**Oh my goodness, mystery audience. I have been writing this fanfic for almost 50 days! Time sure flies when you're exhausted with too much to do and neurotically ignoring responsibilities. Also, I learned you CAN put break lines on here. It's in the toolbar. I was incredibly frustrated that my lines kept disappearing. How else would I signal a new location or situation or point of view? Words?! Old school emoticons?! So frustrated. But it's okay now. It's alright. I figured it out.**

It had been four days.

Colleen watched as Danny flung himself into training, becoming more and more frustrated with Jessica each time he called for updates. His meditation rarely worked to calm him and Colleen found herself reassuring the young man that they would find his pseudo brother.

Once Claire had arrived at the expensive apartment, she was able to convince the vigilantes to let her take Eva to a hospital for overdose.

Beyond that, Jessica was able to contact Kay and forcibly convinced Shannon to allow Eva into the confines of the safe house once the hospital released her.

The papers announced Rand's sudden buyout of Ellisor Archaeological Services three days after Ward went missing.

The group changed tactics, hunting the Hand with a renewed vigor after recognizing that Ward must have authorized and initiated the purchase on their behalf.

The devil brought home the first piece of the puzzle. A factory on the east side of town had been showing more courier traffic lately and the small heroine packets on the streets could be traced back to it. If anything, it could at least give them some new pinpoints for Hand operations.

* * *

The four defenders, Colleen, and Claire lounged on couches and chairs in the den of the safe house, arguing about how best to approach the factory whether it be by a fierce frontal assault, legal attack, or infiltration.

Shannon left when it became clear that the group was going to use the sparse, contemporary fortress as a headquarters.

Eva and Kay cautiously approached the group, leaving plates with casserole on the coffee table before retreating to the edge of the room and eavesdropping on the discussion. The heroes barely acknowledged the two women leaning against the wall until Jessica made a face after taking a bite. "If I knew what you were going to do with this food," her words were fumbled through her full mouth, "I would have been much less angry about being asked to do grocery shopping for you."

Kay and Eva glanced at each other as the group paused their planning. "Wait, you were angry about that?"

Luke rumbled a low chuckle next to Claire, "You asked Jessica to do the grocery shopping?"

Matt snickered in his chair, "I'm still surprised she actually did it."

The dark haired woman glared at her allies over the lip of her coffee cup.

"What?" Matt shrugged, "It's so domestic."

Jessica stood up and approached the small bar tucked into the corner. "At least this was well stocked," she added a splash of whiskey to the cup.

"Well we can't wait for legal action," Danny redirected the group. "And an outright attack would likely leave us outnumbered and scattered."

Colleen glanced at him sideways, "Perhaps we should repeat our tactics from our fight against Harold." She winced at the look Claire shot her. "Only better."

"What were your tactics?" Luke glanced between the two women with a raised eye brow, the picture of ease on the expensive couch.

Danny glanced at his plate, "Distraction and infiltration."

Jessica snorted into her cup, "Yeah, that turned out great for us last time." She took her place back in a chair. "And we have even less information to go off of."

Matt leaned forward against his knees, "I could scout the area first. They wouldn't even know I'm there."

"I'll go with you!" Danny immediately volunteered.

Matt shook his head, "I know you feel like you need to do everything to help, but you need to play on your strengths." His tone was gentle, but he still noted the disappointment emanating from his ally.

"Yeah," Jessica clipped, "and stealth is for sure not your strength."

Colleen placed a restraining hand on Danny's before he could respond. "Matt, you feel like it would be best if you scout alone?"

The blind man nodded in response. "They won't see or hear me. I'll be able to clock out any guards before they get to my location and honestly, a second person would just be a worry to me."

The team sat in silence a moment before Luke nodded. "I agree with you." The group turned to the large man, "We should play our strengths and you're the one most likely to go unnoticed. Then we can decide how best to approach when we have more of an idea of what we're up against."

"I'll take care of it tonight." The man placed his plate back on the table before standing "In the mean time, you should all be sure to rest. If it goes anything like a few days ago, we'll need to be at our best."

The group nodded in agreement. "I'll stay here with Eva and Kay," Colleen ventured. "Let's meet up here tomorrow afternoon to decide our course of action."

The group unanimously agreed before the men filtered out through the reinforced door. Eva and Kay watched Claire, Colleen, and Jessica cautiously.

Jessica wandered to the kitchen and returned with another helping of the casserole before plopping back into her chair. "Yeah, I'm totally staying here to. Food and quality booze."

Claire shook her head slightly before standing and approaching the two civilians in the room. "How're you doing, Eva?"

The woman shrugged with guarded eyes, "I'm fine."

"Really?" Claire questioned, "Because withdrawal- even after a brief period, can be pretty rough."

Eva opened her mouth but was cut off with a glare from Kay, "She's not eating, she threw up a couple of times, and she was pacing all damn night with the shakes."

Eva glared back at her friend, betrayal in her eyes. "Kay!" She looked back at Claire. "The doctor gave me a prescription to help manage the symptoms. And guidelines for when to take it." The nurse raised an eyebrow at the woman as she defended herself, shifting her feet and holding her crossed arms close. "I've been following the instructions to a T."

Claire glanced down at the woman's wrists, the bulky bandages had been replaced by smooth gauze wraps and were mostly covered by the long sleeves. "Alright, just checking," she shrugged nonchalantly, glancing at the other two in the room before grinning at Colleen, "Alright, it's decided. I'll stay too. Let's see if our boy Richie stocked up on any good movies!" She glanced over at the flat screen on the wall. No shelves or cupboards sat next to it.

Colleen's smile slowly slipped into curiosity as they looked around the room, noting the barren walls. She frowned. "We might not be having a movie night..."

"I'm logged on to Netflix on there," Kay interjected. "You can use that..." The two women at the wall glanced at each other before watching the other three nod. Claire grabbed the remote off a side table before flopping on to the couch, tucking her feet under Colleen's thighs for warmth.

Kay slipped away to the dining room where she picked up a pencil, tapping it against a sketch pad. Eva wandered in seconds later, a book in hand, "Ward's library here is tiny and boring. Where'd you get the sketch pad?"

Kay raised an eyebrow, "Same room you got the book. It gets boring here."

Eva frowned at her companion before sighing, "Then why am I so anxious?" She set the book down before picking a seat across the table and resting her head on her arms.

"Because there are things we want to happen that we can't make happen." Kay stated monotonously, staring at the paper before cocking her head to the side. "And probably the drugs."

Eva huffed a bitter laugh and tilted her head to look at the younger woman. "You think he's okay?"

Kay stilled her pencil tapping and looked Eva in the eye before sighing. "I don't know." She looked around the blank room. "He sounded so calm and in control when I last saw him, but listening to what they say when they think we can't hear..." She glanced back and winced at Eva's watery, downcast eyes. "They'll find him. You saw how determined they are, how determined Danny is." She forced certainty into her voice, "They'll find him, Eva."

The woman wobbled her head on her arms in a miserable nod of acknowledgement. She gave another deep sigh. "I slept with him over Thanksgiving."

Kay choked on her coffee before a snarky grin graced her lips. "Bravo, Eva!" She set the pencil down and leaned forward, wiggling her eyebrows cartoonishly. "How was it?"

Her employer squeezed her eyes shut and sunk her head further into the crook of her arms as she continued her confession, "I left when he fell asleep."

"Ouch," Kay winced. "Less bravo."

"That was the last time I saw him..." she mumbled into her arms.

The two sat in silence for a moment as sounds of a movie's opening sequence permeated the air.

Eva looked at a lone sketch taped to the wall. The front of her coffee shop was displayed on the thick paper in delicate detail, the viewpoint set kitty-corner across the street. Despite the elegant lines and the fond memories of the store, she felt a sickening void in her stomach. _Keith **and** kidnappers. I'll never feel safe there again._ "I think I'm going to sell the coffee shop." She didn't look at Kay, knowing the hurt expression she'd find and being aware that she couldn't face it.

"But you love the coffee shop!"

"No, I don't." She murmured. "You know it was Keith's." She risked a glance to her young friend's eyes, seeing the distress there. "I don't know if I'll feel safe there anymore," she confided. "And you know it was never what I wanted in the first place." The younger woman swallowed before nodding and looking back down to her paper. Eva watched her face, "If you want, you can have it. I'll sell it to you for a hundred bucks."

Kay scoffed, "It wouldn't be the same..." She fiddled with the pencil in her hands. "I don't wanna work there if you aren't there."

Eva nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry, Kay." She fought off tears in her eyes, angry that she was struggling to hold it together. _Fucking drugs._ "I just can't stay there anymore. Too much has happened in that place and I can't-" She struggled to swallow a lump in her throat.

There was a breath of silence in the room. "Alright, it's fine," Kay nodded despondently before swallowing and leaning over the paper, keeping her head down.

 _I guess we aren't talking about it right now._ Eva tilted her head on her arms, looking at her friend. _She's still so young..._ "Have your parents checked in on you?"

The girl scoffed again, shaking her head. "No. They probably haven't even noticed that I've not been home."

Eva hummed and stretched her hand across the table to Kay's. "Hey, even without the shop, you've got me."

Kay sniffed and looked up, a brave smile forced on to her face. "So does that mean we're sharing Ward when he gets back?"

Eva barked a short laugh before leaning back, shaking her head, and opening her book. It wasn't by much, but there was less tension in their space and that was all she could ask for at that moment.

* * *

Matt slunk low across the roof, listening to the foot steps and heartbeats of the sentries. He frowned, silently lunging over the ledge as another guard turned a corner. _There sure are a lot of them here._ He lowered himself cautiously until dropping to the ground. Sprinting across a small alley, he leaped on to the machinery and climbed until he reached a third story window. The daredevil listened, sensing no one in the vicinity on the opposite side, he pried the window open and slipped in unseen.

The sounds inside were different then on the other side of the wall and Matt waited, gathering his bearings. It was loud in here, the drone of machinery ever present and nearly overwhelming, but he heard it and he stayed still, not wanting to lose the voice before picking up its direction.

 _Why are you here? Of all places?_

"-switching the facilities equipment to the newer models would cost us but in the long run, we turn a higher profit due to more product. And with the research team on board, new additives will increase addiction rates giving us a higher demand for our supply-"

Matt followed the dry voice to his right. _He's lower. Just one floor down. But who is he talking to?_

A phone alarm sounded before swiftly being silenced. Ward apologized for the disruption and continued talking only for another voice to cut in.

"We can wait." _Gao! And who else?_ "Ward, take your medicine now. It does not take long." A low growl of discontent barely reached his ears as Matt heard a door open beneath him. He approached the railing and waited.

Ward emerged from a small meeting room, suit neat and clean, hair pushed back, sun glasses hanging from his jacket pocket. The heat radiating from his body was feverish though and his breaths were oddly shallow and too few and far between with a quick pulse. Daredevil monitored his route to another room along the wall of the building where he heard a woman's accented voice. "It's almost ready, sir. Please roll up your sleeve."

Matt fought the urge to act now. _I'm here to get information. Not botch the whole plan._ He followed the older man's walk back to the meeting room, where the discussion continued regarding heroine distribution through out the city before turning to other companies the group planned to acquire. Matt frowned. _I get the chemical companies, but why do they want these other groups?_ The meeting drew to a close, people filtering out of the room. Matt withdrew his phone, taking series of pictures in the direction of the footsteps. He pocketed his phone before following Gao and Ward deeper into the factory.

They walked in silence before pausing outside another room. "I have business to attend to elsewhere," Gao began, "but you seem to be feeling unwell yet and it is nothing I cannot handle on my own." She rested her cane in front of her. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off to rest? Ward, get some sleep so you will be ready for tomorrow."

The man smiled down at the old woman, "That's kind of you." Ward frowned and shook his head. "I can't seem to shake whatever bug I've got here- Regardless, give me a call if you need anything."

Matt grimaced at Ward's voice as Gao gave a pleased chuckle.

"Also, how well do you trust Merric?"

Gao's voice lost the amusement in favor of curiosity. "Within reason." Ward hummed at her answer. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you asked him to talent scout companies that will help locate the materials you're looking for." Ward rubbed his neck, "I can easily think of a dozen different small companies and contractors that he failed to mention during his report. Are you certain he's not moving forward with them on his own? I checked some of your records and there are small amounts of money and materials missing through out."

Gao frowned at the news, "I will keep my eye on him." Her voice sounded weary for a moment. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Ward."

"Of course, Madame Gao" He pat her shoulder lightly before turning to his door. "I'll let you be on your way now. Be safe."

 _Far too accommodating for talking to the likes of her! What has she been giving you?_

His prey parted ways and he resolved to continue monitoring Ward. The man produced a key and opened the door before him, entering the room alone. A click sounded. _Alright, locked when he's gone, and locked when he's there._ _Not a problem for Jessica. Or Danny._ He continued listening, hearing fabric rustle and the creek of a mattress. _He's sleeping here? That's his bedroom?_ Matt cocked his head to the side. _Okay, well at least we know where he's staying then._ After mere seconds, Ward's breathing evened out, and the Daredevil could tell he'd fallen asleep. _That was too quick... What do they have him on?_

He stealthily retraced his steps to the room where Ward had gone for his medication. The woman from before was still in there. Matt tucked himself behind a stack of pipes and waited. He listened to the sound of liquids bubbling, a strange hissing noise, and the sound of a flame flickering. He could smell the chemicals radiating from the room. _Uhg, chemistry. I hated chemistry._ The fumes flooded his nostrils and he focused on sounds. The conversations around the factory were average and gave him no useful intel. Half an hour had passed before he perked up. The woman had opened the door to her lab. She stepped out before shutting and locking the door behind her. Matt tailed her, swiftly climbing out his window before hunting her down outside. _There are still too many people around... Someone would see if I took her..._ She climbed into a car and started the engine, allowing it to warm up for a moment in the cold weather. _Jessica can trace the car!_ Matt frantically pulled his phone out and took a couple pictures in the direction of the car before pocketing it once more.

He ghosted back to the factory building, circling until he found a window into the lab. No heartbeats emanated from the room. Matt tested the window, it slid open and he climbed in. The devil let out a low hum before taking his phone out and clicking a picture before pausing. _Wait, the light needs to be on. Is the light on?_ He remained still for a moment, tilting his head up until he felt a warmth seeping from one central point on the ceiling. _Oh good, they don't care about energy conservation either._ He clicked more pictures, turning in a circle and making sure to get close ups of equipment. He pocketed his phone along with a small pouch and vial from a collection on a stand. _These might be what they're using on him..._ He shivered. _The man had barely even sounded like himself._ Matt slipped from the room through the window, closing it behind him. He shimmied up the building to the roof. _A helicopter? That would make for a quick get away._ He circled the edge until he found where Ward slept floors beneath him. Carefully slipping down the wall, Matt felt a window to the man's room. He frowned at the bars. _That's fine. We can deal with that._ He dropped to the ground.

Matt silently avoided the sentries on his way off the property before heading home. _I'll meet back with them tomorrow. But I should show Jessica the pictures tonight for the license plate..._ He redirected himself, heading back to the drugged man's safe house.

* * *

The morning came with frost on the windows. Eva had been up since a little after 2am. Unable to sleep for long and not able to focus on her book, she had tip toed passed the three women in the den on her way to the kitchen. _Fucking useless. I'm fucking useless..._ She grabbed eggs, vegetables, and bacon from the fridge. _I have nothing to offer and Ward has been drugged and brainwashed and I'm useless._ She hunted for a mixing bowl and anything resembling a pie dish, finally settling on another casserole pan before pausing to scratch her head. _How many are we? Jessica, Colleen, Claire, Kay, myself, Danny, Luke, and Matt. What is that? Eight? Well, four plus four supers, do they eat more?_ She frowned before grabbing a second pan. _Ward's gone doing god knows what, in **who knows** what condition and I'm making fucking souffles at 4 in the fucking morning._ She blinked back her angry tears as she gathered the flour, yeast, and other essentials for the crust.

By the time Colleen wandered into the kitchen, Eva had an entire buffet prepared. The excited noises she made at the sight of the souffles, crisp bacon, mixed fruit salad, fresh brewing coffee, and still warm caramel rolls brought a curious, yawning Claire to the room who promptly texted Luke, Matt, and Danny. Eventually Kay wandered into the mix as well, cautiously poking Jessica awake on her way through the den to join the voices in the kitchen.

"Mmmn-I knew I made the right choice stickin' around here." Jessica murmured sleepily around a mouthful.

Loud thumps sounded from the door and Colleen checked the small security screen in the entryway before unlocking the door. The three men flooded in with expectant grins.

Luke planted a light kiss on Claire's temple, "Good morning! A little bird told us there was food that needed to be eaten."

"You two both look tired this morning," Danny told Jessica and Matt as he loaded a plate. "I understand why Matt would," he looked to Jessica, "but didn't you rest? We need to be at our best today, perhaps you should-"

"Well I had to kick the shit out of some pharmacist- or chemist- or I dunno whatever she was." Jessica shifted uncomfortably at the awkward look Kay and Eva shared. "Bottom line. Matt and I figured out some stuff last night regarding Mistress Gao's plans for Ward." The group stilled.

Danny ignored that he wasn't invited, a desperate eagerness entering his eyes, "What did you find?"

Jessica glanced warily at Eva and Kay, they quietly stared down at their plates, not eating.

"She's using him much like she used his father-" Matt cut in, "to control the company and it's global resources. Since his response to her request for a business partnership was to seek help from us instead, her plan B was to utilize a substance similar to- to..." He faltered at the end, his face twitching slightly.

"Similar to old school voodoo." Jessica supplied, making a point not to look anyone in the eye. "Of the Haitian variety."

The group sat and stared at the two in silence, Eva glancing between the two speakers. "You're fucking kidding me." Her voice was raw as everyone's eyes turned to her in surprise. She rose of her chair, barely containing her rage, "Are you seriously trying to tell us that that some fucking bokor zombified Ward for a fucking company?" Kay blinked owlishly at her friend while Claire choked on a piece of bacon.

Matt was quick to reply, sitting straighter in his chair, "No, no, no!" Eva relaxed slightly as the broad-shouldered man seemed to backtrack, "It's just a similar substance that was used!"

She bristled once more.

"He's not so much been zombified as, well-" Jessica looked back to Matt, "You explain it. You were there, you're the one that saw him."

"You **saw** him?!" Eva asked, dangerously close to a hysterical tone, not even considering that the man she just yelled at was blind.

"Oh yeah, um." He shifted in discomfort, "Not so much zombified as..." another shift and he cleared his throat, "his affinities were influenced. He trusts Gao. He's loyal to her. Completely."

The others blinked at the speakers before glancing at each other.

"So what are you telling us? He was roofied then?" Eva demanded, settling with reliable anger, "That's your big discovery?" She stood and turned to Matt, "And you **left** him there?"

Kay watched her friend, "Eva-"

"What the hell were you thinking?! What if they leave before any of you find him again?! What if you missed the only chance we had?!"

Kay stood up and rested her hand on the Eva's shoulder despite the woman's flinch at the touch. "Eva, I'm sure they have a plan." She was uncharacteristically soft spoken as her older friend struggled to cope. "Maybe we should step away and let them do what they do." Eva's eyes turned to Kay, full of irritation. Kay spoke quickly, "Hey, they're the heroes okay? This is where they live. Not us. They've got this."

Eva's eyes hardened at her friend but after a small moment of hesitation she nodded briskly to the floor and left the room. Kay glanced at the group and rubbed her arm uncertainly, "Sorry. She's- Normally she's calmer than that." Kay glanced at the nurse before turning and followed Eva out of the room.

O_O

The group frowned at each other before Matt cleared his throat again and spoke quietly to not be overheard by the beating hearts two rooms over, "So Ward's basically a zombie right now."

Luke raised his eyebrows, his words slow and considering, "Like an eat your brain zombie or..."

The lawyer shook his head, "No, a really polite, business zombie. He just does whatever Gao suggests-"

Jessica leaned forward, disgust on her face, "He's a puppet."

" _I feel so useless."_

 _"Don't, Eva. There's nothing either of us can do."_

He frowned. _Do I need to confess for eavesdropping? Probably._ "It seems that way," Matt confirmed, focusing to follow both conversations at once. "And it's weird, the way he treats her. It's like he's fond of her, like he trusts her judgement- on everything."

" _Well there must be more than this! The cops even!"_

 _"Eva! They have superpowers for christ's sake! And besides, Ward said the police are corrupted by the **same** **people** that took you in the first place!"_

Danny frowned, "But why would he trust her?" He leveled his gaze at the table, his emotions turbulent for his older friend who felt he couldn't speak to him.

" _Why didn't he bring him back then? He could have been **safe** by now, Kay!"_ Guilt tugged at Matt's chest as he heard her voice break.

Colleen took Danny's hand in hers, "It must be the drug." She looked to Matt, "What is it? How long does it last?" She glanced back and forth at the different members of the group.

"Chandra said- the chemist," Jessica clarified, "said they do twice daily injections in an IV on his arm. They set alarms to remind them and everything." She glanced at Claire, "So that means it's not permanent, right?"

Claire shrugged, "It could mean a lot of things. But that would be my best and most optimistic guess- that if they have to keep giving him doses, it'll wear off if it's missed." Danny visibly relaxed before she winced and continued, "However, it could be a series thing. Like an immunization shot. A set number of treatments the person has to take before the effect is permanent and they switch to- who knows weekly, monthly, yearly boosters."

Danny paled.

"So let's make sure he misses his next dose!" Luke scooted back in his chair, looking at Matt, "What time did he take the stuff?"

"9 sharp." He pulled his phone out and pulled up his photos from the previous night, emptying his pockets of the vial and pouch at the same time. "He went to a specific room for it that they set up as a type of lab. Chandra said she had just finished preparing the next three days of doses and left them in a mini fridge there." Jessica took the phone to slide through it and show the relevant pictures to the rest of the group.

Jessica cleared her throat, passing the phone back to her ally as she looked to the upper corner of the room. "The lady also mentioned something about the first dose." She turned her gaze to the table, not looking anyone in the eye. "The subject's mental state in that moment affects the strength of the er," she shrugged nonchalantly "effects."

Danny glanced at Matt's guarded expression before blinking at Jessica. "And how was he? At the time of the first dose?"

Colleen frowned at the way Jessica shifted in her seat.

"Well, he wasn't doing too great."

Claire tilted her head and furrowed her brows, "Define that."

Jessica picked at her nails. "Really kind of badly." There was silence and she looked over at the wall. "Think mental breakdown."

"What were you **doing** that whole time?!" Danny was suddenly standing, Colleen's hand locked on his arm. "It was your job to get him and Eva out!"

"Yeah!" Jessica rolled her eyes, "like it was **your** job to distract the bad guys!"

"So where do we go from here?" Luke's deep voice cut through the tension, stopping the blaming before it got worse. "What's our plan?"

Jessica smirked at the ceiling as she leaned back, "Something of the 'damsel in distress variety', me thinks." The group frowned at her, though Danny's expression was less kind. She sighed. "It's still ungodly early though." They all looked at the clock on the stove. "It the doses are 12 hours apart, Meachum hasn't taken his morning one yet."

"We also don't know how long the effects will last after he misses a dose though." Matt interjected. "Maybe we should..." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to knock him out or anything, but maybe we-" he trailed off, not know how to word it.

"Should knock him out?" Claire supplied with a raised eyebrow. "Actually... I think I have an idea, let me see that vial."

* * *

8:30 am had Ward at a dingy desk in a small room with two windows near his own room.

Jessica held the binoculars to her eyes, catching just enough of an angle from the roof across the street to see the man sitting at a shabby desk. _You seem to have gotten a_ _bit of a demotion there, buddy._ She shifted her gaze to see Matt slipping passed guards effortlessly. _Good thing he's on our side. It would be hell to try and catch him._ She switched back to Ward. _He looks like shit. Did he even lose weight?_ She couldn't quite tell from her angle. His shoulders seemed sharper than before.

Shifting her gaze back to Matt, she watched him pause in an alley before sprinting across it, hiding behind a large industrial crate just as a guard turned the corner. _Close one, Matty._ She turned to the other side of the property. Luke turned a corner into view, a hood covering his face as he sauntered along the side walk with a bag over his shoulder. _Sorry for the the stereotypes, Luke. But you're a very large tank of a man._ She watched as he paused by a wall and started spraying paint mindlessly until a sentry noticed and sent the guards at the front out out. _And I'm not._

She set the binoculars down before sliding down the fire escape and sprinting for the building across the street. She made it behind a truck just as another group of Hand ran out of the main factory building towards Luke. _Yeah, Matt's got nothin' on my stealth._ She circled around the truck and caught the door before it closed. Peaking in, she saw a number of workers measuring small amounts of powder before packaging it and loading it into small boxes. It was an entire assembly line. _Well fuck._ She pulled back and let the door close, wandering along the edge of the building until she found the second story window she had spied Ward in. _I guess we're doing this the hard way then._ She slipped behind another metal utility box when the crunch of footsteps sounded around a corner. A man in dark clothing wandered by and she leaped up behind him landing a solid hit to the back of his head. The man went limp and she carried him behind the utility box to hide him. From there, she peaked around the corner. _No more company coming? Good._ She eyed the large metal utility box at the base of the building. _Can't very well just toss myself through a window._ She paused to consider it as Danny's voice rattled through her head, telling her about being knocked out of a skyscraper's window when he had followed Ward before.

Just then a siren sounded. _There's Danny! His timing is so much better this round!_

 _Let's go for surprise anyway._ Jessica pounced on to the utility box and threw herself at the unopened window, closing her eyes as she shattered the glass and landing in a roll. She scrambled to her feet, brushing her hair out of her face in time to see Ward's face. _Shit. Was that surprise?_ She couldn't tell.

The grey that had been infecting the whites of his eyes had spread to the surrounding tissue, giving his now gaunt face a hollowed out aesthetic.

"Ms. Jones," he stood from his chair, settling his hands in his suit pant pockets. "To what do I owe the interruption?"

Jessica dusted her jacket off, "I know you mean 'pleasure.' So. Meachum, you look... okay. You definitely lost some weight."

An irritated smirk graced his ashen face, "And you found it. How healthy of you."

 _Asshole._ "Yeah, ha ha. Your girl's a really great cook, you know? You should visit her. Put some more meat on those bones. In fact, why don't we head over now?"

His smirk slowly disappeared as she spoke only to be replaced by a scowl and crossed his arms, "I didn't think absolute morons could get by as private investigators."

Jessica smirked, "Worth a try."

"Don't waste my time." His tone was low and irate. "Get out or fix the window. I think you're only capable of one."

She smiled at him, "Remember the last time you didn't want to go with me?" She took a step towards him.

He frowned, "What the hell are you talking about?"

That made her hesitate. The sirens were still blaring outside and this room was relatively undisturbed. "What do you mean what am I talking about?" They stared at each other, Jessica perplexed and Ward frustrated by her presence. "When we went to get Eva, remem-"

"I don't know any Eva," he growled. "And I sure as hell haven't gone anywhere with you. Now get out. I don't even care if you take the window again, just leave."

Jessica frowned. _Alright. Damsel's got a bad case of Stockholm's._ She watched him roll his eyes before stalking around the desk and heading for the door. "Hey, wait," she grabbed his wrist only for him to whirl around to her and stab her forearm with a pencil. "Ah-Ward!" But her hand slipped with the sudden, sharp pain and he was out the door.

She ran out after him, catching sight of his tall frame turning a corner. Jessica followed him around, eyes widening, she ducked back as a shot rang out. _That fucking asshole has a gun? Gao gave him a fucking gun?- That fucking asshole shot at me! He is my client! My client shot at me! And he stabbed me! With a pencil! I am upping his rates!_ She bit down her anger as she peaked around the corner. He was gone. _Fuck!_ She sprinted down the short hallway and up a metal staircase at the end. She could hear quick footsteps clanging on the metal floor and she followed the sound, keeping her foot falls soft as she trotted after him. She moved cautiously down a hallway with dirty walls, glancing into each room she passes. His footfalls have gone silent. _He's either stopped, started walking quiet, or is already gone._ She refused to believe the last.

Jessica approached the end of the hall and turned a corner. Ward stood in front of a large window, a control panel to his side as he typed away on his phone. There were no more hallways for him to escape down. "Kids these days and their phones." Jessica leisurely walked into the open room, the metal floor clanking with each step. The man glanced up, biting back a pleased smirk. "You know you just doubled your rates with that stunt down-"

"Down?" His hand lashed out, slamming a button red button on the console. A loud beep sounded and Jessica's stomach dropped with the floor beneath her. She clawed at the metal grates as they parted and dropped beneath her, barely catching a grip on a bar at the end. Ward strolled around the hole in the floor, gazing darkly at her with steady disapproval. "Strength, huh? Useless without a brain." He turned his back and quickly returned through the hallway they had entered through.

 _God damn, fucking, chicken shit, rich boy._ She grit her teeth as she heaved herself up gingerly, her fingertips bleeding from scratching for a handhold on the metal and her nails burning where they'd been torn. _This is probably a form of torture somewhere._ She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, focusing on the pencil wound instead of her fingers before reaching for another handhold only to feel hand grab hers. She opened her eyes. "Oh for god's sake, I owe you." The devil helped hoist her up. He didn't comment on her shaking hands. "Do you know how much of a dick that asshole is?"

Matt tilted his head, "Have you ever even taken anatomy?"

She shook her head in disbelief before taking off back down the hall with Matt following after. Jessica hesitated at a corner before glancing at Matt, he nodded and turned to the left. Jessica followed after. _Our faithful bloodhound._ They sprinted up another flight of stairs before burst through a door into sunlight. A group of Hand was scattered across the roof top, armed with pistols and automatics. Ward and Gao stood on the opposite side seemingly arguing, a helicopter sitting next to them, the cockpit empty. A man pushed through the doors behind Jessica and Matt, not stopping as he flew passed them with a black case in his hands.

"Ward!" Matt shouted. The door opened again and Danny appeared, panting and covered in sweat. Ward turned at his name, frowning as he adjusted his sun glasses. The courier reached him and Gao immediately took the box, opening it and yanking on Ward's arm. He rolled his eyes and pulled his sleeve up, allowing her to administer his medicine as the crowd of guards blocked any likely advance from the three unarmored vigilantes. The courier was climbing into the cockpit of the helicopter as Gao closed the box, tucking it safely under a seat while Ward fixed his sleeve.

Gao had just placed a foot on the step, Ward taking her hand to help her balance when the door slammed open a third time. Luke emerged and proceeded to barrel into the crowd, parting it like the Red Sea and barely reacting to the bullets ricocheting off of him. The Hand swiftly discarded their guns, their own bullets downing their numbers rather than doing anything to the large man. Danny and Matt jumped in behind him, clearing the way for Jessica to all out run for the helicopter. Guards attempted to intercept her but she used her strength to shove them aside before lunging for the helicopter as it began to lift. She slammed into it and ripped the door off its hinges, uncovering an irate Ward and an impatient Gao.

Jessica clamped her hand on Ward's seat belt and yanked it off before grabbing his collar with bloody fingers and launching them both back to the roof top, narrowly avoiding Gao's swift, claw-like grab. The fall was short, but painful as the larger man landed on top of her. He was off before she blinked, running to the side of the building by the door where the helicopter now hovered, awaiting it's last passenger. Jessica ground her teeth together as he swerved to evade Danny who was immediately surrounded once more. She was already sprinting after the tall man, her hands fisted as she pumped her legs harder. She just grabbed the hem of his suit jacket as he was reaching for the handle on the helicopter. He growled as she yanked him back and slammed him against the wall of the stairwell, slipping her tracker on to his collar as they glared at each other, faces inches apart. _I got him! Finally!_

 _"_ Get off me!" He snarled into her face.

"No!" Desperation flickered across his face as he looked at the helicopter feet away."You are coming **home,** Ward!" She hissed through her clenched teeth, her hands tight on his shoulder and chest.

His glare turned into a feral grin and his reply was taunting with pity as he turned his face to hers, "Oh sweetheart, there's no such thing." He abruptly leaned forward, a hand suddenly resting on her waist, and almost gently met her lips with his own. She felt her eyes go wide as she jerked herself away in surprise and he easily slipped from her stunned grasp, leaping into the helicopter.

The airborne vehicle swerved away from the building in a graceful arc before gaining elevation and rapidly drifting away. Jessica blinked the shock away. _I had him..._ She turned too late as a guard swung at her. Her head reeled once more as she squeezed her eyes shut to clear them before whirling around and knocking the man back. She fought her way to her allies and stayed with them as the four fought off the remainder of the Hand on the roof top.

The fighting slowed and the four made a run for the door. They flew down the stairs, following Luke as he confidently lead the way out. Once grounded and outside again, the group paused to catch their breath before jogging to Danny's car two blocks away. Safely inside the vehicle, Luke began the drive back to the safe house. He glanced at Matt, "Did you get the switch done?"

The blind man gave a grin and nodded.

Jessica turned, "And the tracker in the box?"

"Yes," His tone was pleased, "and the tracker on the helicopter before the sirens sounded too. Plans B and C were successful."

The car went quiet as the inhabitants glanced at Jessica. "Hey, I had him! Ok?" Matt smiled at nothing. "But he is an absolute asshole and maybe we should just let Gao keep him!"

Danny twisted in the front seat to glare at her, "We are not leaving him to that madwoman." He ignored Matt's smiling, "Why would you even suggest that?"

The devil started laughing, "Because she doesn't want to admit that he got away by kissing her!"

Jessica leaned back and fumed at her traitorous ally while Luke raised an eyebrow in the rear view mirror at her. "It surprised me, alright?!" Danny's glare had turned to shock followed by mirth at the revelation. "Any of you would have reacted the same way!"

Danny finally let go of a chuckle, "I can guarantee that he wouldn't have tried that on any of us."

"Shut your sexist mouth. And don't tell Eva." Jessica slouched back in her seat and turned to the window. Effectively ending her involvement in the conversation.


	14. Chapter 14

Eva held the door as the group passed into the safe house. She frowned at the lack of the tall business man but quickly hid her disappointment when she saw the look on Jessica's down turned face. "So," she began with trepidation, "how did it go?"

The group stood around in the den, glancing at each other. Matt listened to everyone shuffle their feet. _Alright, I'll do the report._ "We got all three of the trackers placed and switched Gao's drug out for the saline placebo. No terrible injuries, but Claire might need to check Jones' hands when she gets here."

Eva frowned, "Weren't you supposed to be the one to just catch Ward?"

Danny chuckled as Jessica shrugged, her hands set in her pockets. "He's a slippery bastard."

Curiosity and concern flashed across the woman's face. "Well what happened to your hands?"

"Um," Jessica looked away from Eva, watching Kay stroll into the room with more disappointment resting on her face. She cleared her throat and pulled her hands from her pockets, staring down at them to avoid the winces on the others' faces. "He uh, he dropped the floor out from under me at the factory."

"Oh," the devil added, "he did a lot more than that." He could feel the glare from the P.I. before clarifying, "he also stabbed her with a pencil."

Eva's eyes went wide at the blood on Jessica's hands before she left the room. He suddenly felt guilty again. _Maybe she's squeamish._ But the woman reappeared seconds later with a small first aide kit, a bowl of water, and a wash cloth and pulled Jessica to the dining table, ignoring the younger woman's complaints. She immediately began cleaning the oozing wounds, sending sympathetic looks to Jessica at the sharp intakes of air each time she gently dabbed at the finger tips. Kay slowly inched a small glass with a dark amber liquid in front of Jessica.

"I'm sorry." Eva stated to Jessica quietly as the rest of the group began talking. "This has got to hurt."

The tiny vigilante shifted in her seat and took a sip of the whiskey. "Yeah, um, but it's fine." She felt her words fall flat as Eva glanced up at her, now bandaging her fingertips.

"Did the pencil break when it was in your arm?"

"Huh?" Jessica blinked at her before looking to her arm where she could feel the dampness of the blood in her jacket sleeve. "Oh, I don't know. I didn't even think about it."

The woman nodded as she finished bandaging one hand and pulled the other forward to clean. "Yeah, I'll bandage your arm too then, but I bet you Claire's going to want to see if there's a pencil point in there when she's done at work."

"Shit." Jessica grimaced at the prediction.

Eva's lips tugged up briefly before settling back into her constant, worried frown. "So, tell me what all happened?" She kept her eyes on Jessica's hands. "Is he relatively okay?"

"Well his hands aren't a mess," the P.I. bitterly supplied.

"He also missed this morning's dose thanks to the switch out." Matt sat at the table with the three women. "And since we know where they are now, once we get all patched up and see where they land, we can immediately go see the effects."

"Oh," Kay, looked over at the lawyer quickly, "did you get hurt too?"

"No, no. Just Jessica." He could practically feel the huff of irritation from his comrade. "And Danny, he got hit a few times, but there isn't really any bandaging to be done for that right now."

The two civilians looked over to where the young defender was being fretted over by Colleen.

Eva frowned again. "So if Luke and Danny were the distractions for the guards," she looked at Jessica's face, "what happened with you to get so banged up? Ward's not typically that violent." She smiled briefly before her look darkened at the frustration that passed over the other woman's face.

"If you'd like a list," she took a deep, steadying breath. "Your boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"- deigned it a good idea to stab me with a pencil, shoot at me, **and** turn me into Wile E. Coyote on the top floor of the factory. Why do factories even **have** trap doors like that?!"

Eva winced, "I hope that was all just the drug's influence."

Danny, Colleen, and Luke joined the group at the table as Eva began wrapping gauze and coban around the freshly cleaned puncture in Jessica's arm.

"Well, you know what the ancients say," Danny leaned forward, smirking at Jessica. "Desperation leads to dumb decisions."

She scoffed, "They never said that."

"I'm sure there was a variation there somewhere." Danny grinned, settling back into his chair. "It'll explain why he kissed you."

Eva's hands stilled for a fraction of a second before continuing to tie off the bandage. "Oh, you didn't tell us that part." Her voice was steady and neutral and Jessica shifted, sending Danny a wide-eyed 'are you fucking kidding me?' glance.

 _Not her boyfriend huh?_ Matt leaned forward, "Yeah, when uh, just when he and Gao were about to escape in the helicopter, Jessica jumped in and pulled him out," he didn't see Eva and Kay's eyes widening. "Then she chased him across the roof, and then pinned him to the wall because it's Jessica and she's freakishly strong."

"And I stuck the tracker to his suit." Jessica cut in glaring at Matt and speaking quickly to get it over with. "And told him we were taking him home and he said 'no' and leaned down to- which **freaked** me out because **who** does that in the middle of a fight and he got away."

Silence met the uncomfortable group. They finally dared to glance at Eva only to see her shoulders shaking, hand over her mouth and eyes squeezed shut. Kay had turned away from the group, also shaking with a quiet laughter.

Jessica scowled. "You know what? Fuck all of you." She stood from her chair and wandered off with her glass of whiskey.

"Well," Eva finally giggled out, "you can't fault him for not having contingency plans."

Kay's laugh finally bubbled over her hand at her mouth as she slid into a chair, "Can you **imagine?!** "

Matt cocked his head, smiling while an uncertain Danny, Colleen, and Luke chuckled at the laughing pair.

"I'm eating this!" Jessica's angry shout funneled from the kitchen, drawing a hungry group into the room after her.

* * *

Ward frowned at room he was now staying in. _Wait, why aren't I just staying at home again?_ He shook his head to clear it and decided it was a bad choice. Sitting on a sleek couch in the suite, he tipped his head back, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the sound of crashing waves in his head with every heart beat. _Can't be bothered right now. I'll just trust Gao to know the plan for today._

* * *

Half an hour later, Ward was in a conference room with the older woman and a small group of higher ranking officers from the Hand. He was still frowning and his head still ached. The group reported to Gao on rival organizations attempting to move in on the drug trade on the upper east coast. He leaned back into the chair. _I feel like shit._ He glanced at Gao sitting beside him. _Maybe I should tell her after the meeting that the medicine isn't working. But she's busy and I'd hate to bother her with small stuff._ His stomach churned and he took a steadying breath, swallowing against the rising bile at the back of his throat.

* * *

One hour later had Ward sprawling on the couch in his new rooms. He had dragged a waste basket over and had a blanket over his head to block out the light.

"Ward?" The deceptively frail voice floated through the air.

"What?" He didn't mean for his tone to be so sharp. He removed the blanket with a sigh and sat up, rubbing his face against the light. "I'm sorry." He blinked over at his friend, shaking his head slowly. "I just have a headache."

He could barely see Gao tilt her head to the side. "It is not uncommon for your medicine to cause migraines." She continued to watch him, noting the trash can close by. "Ward, take the rest of the day off to rest, but keep your phone with you... Try to eat something as well. Something light."

 _No, really?_ He nodded to the woman and gingerly laid back on the couch, listening to her close the door behind her. _I shouldn't think that way. She's been nothing but kind to me._

* * *

Two hours after Gao had left Ward to his devices, he was leaning over the garbage can, emptying his stomach. His phone chirped and he cautiously stood up, panting before walking to where his suit jacket hung to dig through it's pockets.

"Hello?"

Gao's voice floated over the line. " _Ward, get down to the main lobby and bring your medicine. We will be leaving immediately_."

He bit back a groan. _I don't **want** to leave. I just want to stay here. And sleep..._ "Of course, Madame Gao." A click sounded the end of the call and he pocketed his phone before shrugging his jacket on. He walked over to the kitchenette and rinsed his mouth out at the sink before picking up his medication case and heading to the elevator. _I travel so light these days. Wait, why am I traveling?_ He stepped into the small enclosure with a confused frown and pushed the button for the lobby as he checked his watch. _5:15? Why are we leaving? We just got here this morning._ He felt his stomach rebel again and fought the nausea down. The doors opened and he stepped out of the elevator only to stop and frown at the occupants of the open room.

Luke, Jessica, and Matt stood beyond a floor full of writhing and still bodies. Gao sent a quick glance over her shoulder as Ward walked slowly to her side. _There is something wrong here._ He rubbed his shoulder, wincing behind his sun glasses at a small sting in the crook of his arm from his IV.

"Yes, I will." Gao responded to a question he hadn't heard. "It has been a century or so since I last took on any family. But Ward would be an exceptionally profitable son that I would be happy to have-"

Ward looked down at the small, old woman beside him. _Son? I don't even know what to do with a mother._ His frown deepened as the image of a dark haired couple with a small fair haired boy flashed through his head.

"Children aren't meant to be profitable." Jessica all but hissed.

Luke straightened his shoulders as his gaze remained fixated on Gao. "I don't even know where to start with you."

Ward glanced back up at the group blocking their exit. _Something's wrong_ "Madame Gao?"

"Yes, Ward?"

He turned his blackened gaze to her, ignoring the darkness swimming at the edges of his vision. _I need to make sure she's safe._ "Where is the runt?"

"You noticed that too, did you?" The old woman smiled at the group before her. "Not to worry though. I am sure Danny will turn up soon."

 _Danny?_ Ward narrowed his eyes and shifted to have his back to the wall. _She'll know what to do. She always does._ "I presume you have a plan currently in place?"

"We will make it out of this building." Gao raised her head, "I am not sure they will." _That's less specific than I like._

The elevator dinged behind them, and out stepped Danny. _Ah, this hippy-shit, holier-than-thou asshole is Danny._ "There's no where left to run, Gao." He balled his fist as a golden light erupted from it. "Release Ward and we'll make your death swift." _Release-? I'm fine!_

The woman didn't even turn to the blond. "How about," she cocked her head to the side, "this is your last chance to scurry away, little children." Ward cautiously, slowly pulled his gun from his jacket's inner pocket. All eyes were trained on Gao. "He is mine." Her tone had hardened. "Shouldn't you be happy? He's safe with me after all he's been through."

 _What?_ An image of a dark night in a boggy marsh sparked through his mind. He blinked and it was gone though a knot pinched in his chest.

Luke took a step forward first but Matt and Jessica broke into a run, all three angling towards the old woman. Ward watched as Danny quickly advanced on the woman from behind, drawing his golden fist back and swinging for the strike.

Ward dropped the medicine case and lunged forward, shoving Danny's face into the wall before he could make contact with the small lady. Danny grunted as Ward jabbed the barrel of the gun into his temple, barely registering the shattering force erupting in front of Gao and causing the three vigilantes to fly backwards into the entryway. Ward blinked at sharp pangs blooming behind his eyes. _I don't want to do this. Even for Madame Gao!_ "Move and I swear to god that I will kill you," he steadily growled, trying to fight the acrid taste forming in his mouth. _I've never actually had to kill someone before._

"Ward," Danny began softly, "this isn't you." Ward scoffed, fighting back the urge to roll his eyes. "You have to fight this, Ward! You're not your father!"

He blinked and frowned. _What? What father?_ Ward pushed the gun harder against the man's skull. _Just shoot this one and be done with it!_

The other three vigilantes stumbled to their feet, pausing to take in Danny's current situation.

"You're better than this, Ward." Danny kept talking, voice even and hopeful. "I know you and this isn't you. You're a hard man, but you're a good one. You always have-"

"I don't give a rat's ass what you think!" Ward hissed, his head was pounding a distraction with each beat of his heart and he felt as though a knot was writhing in his chest. _I don't want to do this._

 _"_ Ward," Gao sounded pleased as she called his name, still facing the group before them, "kill Danny Rand."

 _Kill Danny Rand._ An image of a large building with 'Rand' on the tower flashed through his head. A breath passed before Ward shook his head and disengaged the safety. _It must be done._

Danny's elbow shot out, jabbing him just under the ribs. Ward stumbled back, dropping his gun and doubling over. Visions of a blond man with shark-like eyes and a smile with too many teeth flashed through his head.

" _I'm so hungry, Ward."_

Ward blinked, clearing his vision and grabbed Danny's leg as the younger man attempted to rush by him to get to Gao. Danny fell as the other three converged once more on the old woman, she whipped her cane up and unsheathed a delicate blade, dodging and countering the three assaulters.

Ward twisted to get a hold of the smaller man's neck, squeezing once his grip was in place. Danny clenched his jaw, glaring at Ward before slamming his hand into the crook of Ward's arm. The business man growled at the sudden pain, exacerbated by the IV being crushed under the smaller man's hand. His own hand slipped from it's hold and Danny rolled the two before frantically digging in his pocket with one hand and shoving a needle into Ward's shoulder. "Ward! You need to calm down!" Danny tossed the empty syringe away and attempted to control Ward's clawing hands.

The dark-eyed man fought back viciously, teeth bared until the darkness at the edges of his vision swirled in, swallowing him whole.

* * *

It was a slow drift that brought Ward back to consciousness. An ebb and flow of wakefulness as he felt the blood rushing through his head at his temples. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, willing himself to go back to sleep. A failed attempt at shifting positions pushed him to open his eyes to a darkened room, finding his limbs tied off to separate bed posts. Oh, y _ou've got to be kidding me._ He tugged inquisitively at each knot only to find that he was fully secured, an IV attached to one arm, a bag of fluid draining into it. His clothes had been changed too, his body now clothed in a dark t-shirt and sweatpants. He sighed. _I guess Gao didn't quite manage to get me out too._ He didn't acknowledge his disappointment at the thought. Ward glanced around the room, his eyes landing on a vaguely human ball nestled into a chair in the corner. It wasn't moving but he could hear a light, even breathing coming from the person. _They're sleeping? Seriously?_ He continued his poorly lit search of the strangely familiar room, eyes landing on the door frame, outlined in the light from the room beyond. He turned his head as the figure on the chair stirred and stretched, sounding a light, rough yawn. The figure stood revealing it to be a woman with short hair as she stepped closer to the bed, pausing for a moment before rushing to the edge.

"Ward!" She kept her voice quiet as she took one his hands in hers, "you're finally awake!" She sat on the bed beside him. "I'm sorry about the ties," she reached forward and gently brushed his hair back. Her cool fingers felt good against his molten skin. "They insisted. But how are you feeling?"

"Like shit." He frowned at his groggy voice. _Who the fuck is this and why is she touching me? Though her coldness **does** feel good..._ "Who're you?"

"Oh," the woman's hand froze before she pulled away, standing up from the bed. "Sorry. Jessica said you had forgotten things..." _Forgotten things? I didn't forget anything._ She turned to the door. "It's okay. I'll let them know you're awake."

He shut his eyes as she opened the door, the light stinging them and causing them to water. _I wonder if Gao made it out alright..._ Worry for his friend twisted away in his chest. _She's tough. I'm sure she made it. She's okay._

A group filed into the room, turning on lights that blinded him and forced a groan from the back of his throat.

The small voice from before spoke first, "Wait, his eyes." and he heard the lights click off. When he next looked, the lights were off in the room and a dim lamp was glowing on the dresser to the side. Ward glanced between the faces. Danny, Colleen, and two women including the one from before, the latter two stayed by the entrance to the room.

 _This is fine. I can get out of this._ His confidence did not run deep. "Out of sheer curiosity," he gave another experimental tug on his hands, "what the hell do you all think you're doing?" He was pleased that his tone stayed even and unimpressed.

Danny frowned before sitting on the bed beside him. _Yeah, I need more space than that._ Ward fought the urge to recoil and the acidic feeling spread through his abdomen. "Ward, what do you remember?" Danny's voice was gentle, as if dealing with a caged animal.

 _I hate him. And I hate being trapped._ The taller man frowned before giving a harsh grin. "I remember that I still need to put a bullet in your head." The two women in the corner glanced at each other, he ignored them in favor or glaring at Danny. "But if you hand me a knife, I'll make do."

Hurt flashed through the younger man's eyes before he quickly calmed once more. "Ward, it's important that you understand this. Gao was not your friend. She was using you- drugging you."

He scoffed, "Gao was helping me get medicine, you nimrod."

"For what?" The blond blinked at him, "Ward, you haven't been sick."

"And how would you know?"

Danny's frown deepened with discomfort.

"It's true," it was the slight, dark skinned, young woman to speak up now. "You've been fine. Perfectly healthy- well, you might drink too much. But otherwise..." She trailed off with an awkward smile as Ward stared at her.

"And who the fuck are these two?" He demanded. The short haired woman winced, looking down with wet eyes. He felt a pang of familiarity and unexplainable regret at the sight as the dark skinned girl took the other's hand and tugged her out of the room.

"Ward, you really don't remember Eva?" The captive looked at the puppy eyes with irritation. "What about Kay? You're the one that demanded they come here for safety."

 _Safety? From what?_ "I've never met them before in my life." _And that was their precious Eva?_

"Ward! You're in love with Eva." Danny's quiet voice held desperation as he forced a smile. "I saw it! You're the one that brought us together to save her in the first place."

"I don't **know** any Eva!" Ward growled at the younger man. "Untie me."

Danny shook his head sadly as another woman came in, the nurse.

"Hey, heard you were finally awake." She plopped down on the opposite side of the bed. _This is far too crowded._ She pulled a pen light from her pocket and flashed it in his eyes eliciting another low growl of discontent. "Do you have a headache right now?"

"Yes," he practically barked at her.

"How about dizziness?" She watched him carefully as he rolled his eyes.

"How about you untie me and I'll check?"

Claire smiled down at him patiently. "Yeah, not happening, buddy." She took his wrist and frowned. "You're heart rate is still high too. Any nausea?" She pulled her purse around and removed an oral thermometer before gracelessly sticking it in his mouth. He glared up at her as she grinned. Her smile dimmed as the gadget chirped. She pulled a small bottle from her purse. "You've won Tylenol!"

"I'm not taking anything you're giving me." Ward defiantly stated as she popped the lid off and poured two tabs into her hand.

She smiled down at him before looking up to Danny. "Help me out here? His temp's way too high."

Danny frowned apologetically at Ward as he forced his mouth open, blocking out the snarled insults the older man hurled before the nurse brought a glass of water to his lips and poured without waiting for Ward to calm down. He coughed against the water trickling down his throat, taking the pills with it. More visions flashed through his mind of men holding him down and forcing pills into his mouth. He jerked his head away from Danny's hands. _What the hell is all of this?!_ Once the coughing died down, Ward struggled against his bonds. "Let me go!" _I need out of here!_ Danny looked to Claire, worry in both their faces before she nodded and produced another syringe. She swabbed a hub on the IV line before clamping the fluid and pushing a clear liquid into the port. Ward's eyelids grew heavy again and he both eagerly and resentfully greeted oblivion.

* * *

The next time Ward awoke, the woman was sleeping in the chair again. Light haloed in around the blackout curtains above the bed and he kept his eyes down. He blinked slowly at the dimly lit figure. He looked back at the IV bag dripping away into his arm. _If I could just get untied._ He brought his gaze to the door where a blond man with shark eyes stood, hands in his pockets. A chill traveled up Ward's spine as they stared at one another. _And who is this?_ A smile slowly spread across the man's face as he took a step towards the bed. Ward fought to keep his breathing even as panic formed in his chest.

"Ward?" He ripped his eyes away to glance at the woman before turning back to the door. The man was gone, leaving Ward in relief. The woman came closer before sitting at the very edge of the bed, as far from him as possible. "Hey, what's wrong?"

He focused on anger, not wanting to reveal his fear of the shark-eyed man. "Well, for one, I'm being held captive." The woman winced as she subconsciously took his hand and began tracing his fingers. He frowned into the dim room, checking the corners once more. _I'm not really in a position to refuse this._

"I'm sorry this is happening." Her voice was small again, barely more than a whisper in the room.

He looked back to the woman holding his hand and smirked. "So you're the Eva that everyone's telling me I'm in love with." Her hand froze against his and she drew back as he gave a wolfish grin. "I didn't expect you to be such a mouse." She turned her gaze to a corner in the room. "Tell me, what made them pick you?"

Eva turned back to him, looking into his eyes, keeping her face neutral as he dared her to respond. Instead, she stood from the bed and curled back up on the chair, facing away from him. He frowned as the silence settled in and he took stock of his condition. His stomach was still reeling and a pool of pure **ache** rested at the base of his skull. His mouth felt disgusting and he briefly remembered that he had been throwing up before the fight at the apartment complex. He smirked as he gently tipped his head to the woman. "Hey, Eva, love?" He layered the belligerent sarcasm on thick. "Am I allowed to go to the restroom at least?" The woman shifted to peer at him over her shoulder before snuggling further into the crook of the chair. "Come on, help me out? I was throwing up before they assaulted me! At least let me get my mouth cleaned up." She turned a wary eye to the man on the bed before slipping out of the chair and padding out the door. He frowned again. _She didn't say if she was coming back..._ He resigned himself to a wait until he turned his head back to the side of the room with the chair. The blond man with the predator eyes lounged in the recliner and Ward froze at the sight of him, a dread he couldn't explain forming in his chest. The two remained still in the room until Danny and Claire's entrance jerked Ward from his stare. He shot a glance back to the chair. It was empty. _Am I going mad?_ Claire disconnected the IV, looping it over the nail on the wall before nodding at Danny. The two untied his feet first before moving to his hands. _I wonder if Gao will send anyone for me._

"This should go without saying," Danny began, "but I'm going to say it anyway. If you try to escape, we will stop you."

Claire smiled sweetly at him. "Then we'll switch to urinary catheters and bed baths."

Ward fought off a grimace in favor of a tight-lipped smile. He swayed when he sat up, steadied by Danny's hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off and stood only to sit right back down.

Claire came around the bed. "You're going to be a bit dizzy for a while. Both from the drug Gao was feeding you and the medication we've used to sedate you." She placed a gentle hand on his opposite shoulder and he glared at her as he shoved it away.

"I'm fine." He stood up to prove his point, wishing he could sit back down but forcing himself to walk to the door as steadily as possible. "See?" he asked over his shoulder, the two closer than he'd realized. "Fine." As he wandered through the apartment, he raised an eye brow at the inhabitants. The dark skinned girl sat at the dining table, text books strewn before her, Eva nearby with a book from his makeshift library. He could hear laughing from the kitchen and the smell of food made his stomach rebel and the bile rise in his throat. He began to rush for the bathroom, barely reaching the toilet before coughing up globs of the thin, grey liquid. _Uhg, i_ _sn't that supposed to be greenish?_ He glanced over to the doorway, a concerned Danny stepping forward just as Ward slammed the door in his face and locked it. He looked around. No windows here.

Ward glanced at the shower while he brushed his teeth with a brush fresh from a package. _Yes. That is happening._ Tugging his shirt off, he winced at a sharp pain in his upper arm. _Oh, a new IV. Yeah, that's coming out too._ He pulled it out unceremoniously and dropped it in the trash can and froze as he saw his reflection in the corner of his eye. He turned to fully face the mirror. _What the hell?_ Fully grey eyes stared back at him with ashen circles surrounding them. A greenish tinge brushed his hollowed cheeks as he turned side to side. _I look like a fucking ghoul._ He pushed his hair back, leaning against the door frame and eavesdropping on the mundane conversation in the den as he studied his reflection. _Yeah... I'm not getting out of here anytime soon. Definitely not like this._

* * *

Half an hour later, Ward strolled out of the bathroom, washed and freshly shaven and still feeling like something out of a child's nightmare. Danny jumped up from a chair at the table. "Ward!" He swiftly came to his side.

Claire approached more slowly. "Ward, you needed that IV."

"No, I didn't." He smoothly evaded Danny's tentative grab and slid into the chair by the dark skinned girl. "Besides, if it were true that Gao was drugging me, what makes you think even more sedatives would do me any good?" The girl shifted cautiously away. He grinned at her. _I'm a fucking monster, look at her squirm._ A strange disappointment filled his stomach despite his smile.

"Ward, you haven't had anything by mouth for days." Claire was already digging in her bag, "You need the IV for fluids so you don't get dehydrated."

He rolled his eyes, "Then give me something to drink. It's not rocket science." His eyes landed on Eva across the table. Her eyes were guarded as she stared at him over the pages of the book. "Hello, dearest," his sarcastic grin widened until he caught the blond, dead-eyed man in the corner of his eye. He was watching the young woman as well. Ward shifted his gaze to the man fully, his grin slipping. The room went silent with expectation, but he didn't say anything more to Eva, choosing to watch the man instead. The group stared at him curiously, sending glances to follow his look only to find nothing there. Eva slid from her seat and moved to the kitchen silently, the girl quickly following after.

The mysterious blond man turned an unsettling smile to Ward before following the two women. Ward abruptly stood up to follow only for his world to spin. Danny be guided him back to the chair. He frowned at the corner leading into the kitchen. _That man is dangerous._ The thought stumbled through his mind with certainty. _Why is he here?_ Jessica sauntered out of the kitchen and from that same corner, a glass in hand as she sat down opposite of Ward. "Meachum! Look at you, up and on your feet and everything." She scowled at him and took a swig from the glass.

He tilted his head, "And look at you, Ms. Jones, day drinking." She opened her mouth but he cut her off with feigned concern. "How are your hands?" She glared back at him.

He heard hushed voiced from the kitchen. _What are those three saying to each other?_ Eva entered the room with a cup in one hand a package of crackers in the other. She raised the items and sent a questioning look to Claire who nodded. Kay leaned against the wall as Eva approached the table from Jessica's side, sliding the cup and crackers to Ward from a distance. He frowned and his mouth watered before pulling the cup and package the rest of the way to him. Eva turned and left the room once more, this time back to the hallway. _Where had the man gone?_ He took a sip from the cup. _Hm, broth. That'll be easy on my stomach at least._ The textbooks the girl had opened were still on the table and he dragged them closer, ignoring everyone else's discomfort as he bit into a cracker. _Macroeconomics? College girl, huh?_ An image of a young woman with dirty blond hair smiling up at him in a black hat and gown flashed through his mind. _What the hell?_ A foreign familial sense snaked it's way into his chest before he refocused on the book. _Gao is the closest thing to family I have._

" _You are my creation!"_ Ward jerked to the side, stepping away from his chair as he looked around wildly for the man he was certain that voice had come from. The others watched him carefully as he panted and looked down at the broken cup. "Where is he?" He growled, denying the fear in his voice. The group looked at each other, warnings of caution going unspoken. It was pissing him off. "The man! The blond smiling man! The one who just spoke!"

Eyes stared back in confusion until Colleen took a careful step forward, "Ward? I think..." He waited impatiently for her to spit it out. "There was no one... I think you may be hallucinating."

 _No!_

"Harold's not here anymore, Ward." Danny's voice was soft, treating him like a broken animal again. Ward scowled. _Harold?_ "He's dead, remember?"

"Then it's clearly someone else and not this 'Harold.'" His voice was low and barely controlled as he pushed his hair back again. He glanced to the kitchen, noting the girl coming back with a towel and a dust pan. "Jesus christ- **leave it!** " The girl paused and glanced at Danny.

"Ward," Danny placed a hand on his arm and he jerked away. "Ward, maybe you should lay back down?"

Ward rubbed his face, glancing around the room, checking the corners, the doorways. "I'm fine." He snatched the towel from the girl.

" _It's important that you learn to clean up your messes."_

Ward didn't jump this time, he cautiously looked over his shoulder and tracked as the shark eyed man entered the room Eva had gone in. Ward dropped the towel on the table, ignoring Claire's words and followed the man with quick strides, pushing the door open and freezing in the doorway. Eva tugged the baggy sweater down, but not before he noted the scars along her torso. She turned to him, wide eyed as he glanced through the room. _Just her..._ He finally stared back at her, furrowing his brow before Danny grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.

"Ward, what the hell?!" The man kept a first grip on his elbow.

He considered the younger man briefly. _Are they really not seeing him?_ He shrugged the young blond off and returned to the dining area, pointing at Claire. "I have questions." He circled back to his own room without another word. When she finally hesitantly walked into the room, Ward was scratching at his bruised wrist and pacing the floor. He shot a look at the empty doorway, accepting that she probably didn't want want to be completely alone with him. _I can relate._ He stopped pacing a few feet from her. "You're the nurse, why am I hallucinating? What did you give me?"

Claire frowned, leaning against the doorway and crossing her arms. "Ativan. Lots of it. That could definitely cause it."

Ward nodded, looking down at the floor. "Alright, don't give that to me again. I-" He paused, he eyes settling over her shoulder. _There he is again._

Claire frowned and glanced over her shoulder. "Hey buddy, whatcha seein'?"

 _She doesn't see him, he's not real._ Ward swallowed a lump in his throat as the man raised a finger in front of his lips, a sinister smile cutting across his face. "Nothing." He brought his eyes back to the nurse. "Why are my eyes black?"

At this, the woman shrugged as Ward did his best to ignore the man haunting him over her shoulder. "They were giving you something I have never seen before-" he scoffed. "It's true. And I don't know how long it'll last. I don't know you well, but I'm also pretty sure you aren't typically this much of an asshole."

"You're right, you don't know me well." His tone was as acidic as the bile tormenting his throat.

Claire smiled slightly. "Do you want some more broth?"

He grimaced at the mixed signals his stomach sent him, "Yes, but is there something that'll help my stomach?"

Her smile grew in strength. "Yeah! Luckily, it's not IV." She turned and walked out his door, the man having left when he wasn't looking.

Ward rubbed his shoulder and paced back and forth anxiously in his room before sitting down, panting. _When did I get so weak?_ He pushed his hair back and Danny walked in, carrying a cup and the package of saltines. "Hey, Claire said you were hungry and to give you these... zofran? For the nausea. You're supposed to suck on them." Ward rolled his eyes and took the pills from the younger man. "So..." Danny began, leaving the food on the bedside table and sitting beside him on the edge of the bed. _I wish he'd stop that._ "You're hallucinating?"

"It's not very heroic to eavesdrop, Danny."

The vigilante gave a soft bark of laughter. "I'm sure we've both done worse."

Ward frowned before taking the cup and moving to the chair. _Hm, it_ _smells good here._ He took another sip of broth. _Why not tell them? They seem to want to help. Let them nurse me back to health so I can escape._ "I don't know who it is. Some blond man, about your height, kind of looks like a shark. Dark eyes. Toothy grin. Broad shoulders." Danny's face grew more and more somber as Ward spoke and a knot of anxiety formed in his chest. "You know who it is?"

Danny pulled his phone from his pocket, tapping away until he turned the screen to Ward. "This him?"

Ward leaned in and took the phone, keeping his face neutral at Google Image's Harold Meachum. He clicked one of the links and the headline announced Harold's death from earlier that year. "I don't understand," he spoke slowly. "He was my father?"

Danny pulled the phone from his hand, "Yes. And he wasn't a good one. Which is probably why it's him you're hallucinating." Ward leaned back into the chair, rubbing his eyes.

"He's dead?" _It's okay. I have Gao._

"Yes."

Ward nodded his head. _Alright, so I'm definitely hallucinating. It's not a theory anymore._ "How did he die?" He watched Danny look away and fumble for words.

"Let's talk about that when you're feeling better." Danny stood from the bed, ignoring Ward's dissatisfied frown. "In the mean time, try to keep that food down and rest up. You really do look better than you did two days ago." The younger man approached the door before turning back, his eyes nervously glancing around. "We won't tie you up again for now. But someone will always be watching the door."

Ward scowled as the younger man left the room, closing the door behind him. _I guess I'm in exile now._ He dipped some crackers into the broth until the food was mostly gone. Exhausted by all his activity, he slipped under the covers of his bed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

He woke up gasping for breath in the middle of the night, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing his hair back before glancing around. _Blackness. And smoke? And red lights._ The woman was in the chair again. _I distinctly remember seeing a bed in her room_. He frowned at the memory. _And scars. Which is significant. Why is that significant?_ He shook his head softly. _Yeah, still hurts._ He turned to look back at Eva. Harold was standing behind her chair, looking down at her with a too wide smile on his face. Ward frowned and stood up slowly to avoid getting lightheaded once more. "What the hell do you want?" He questioned quietly as he stepped towards the chair. The smiling man looked up to him. Ward blinked and the man disappeared. Ward stared at the corner of the room, at the spot behind the chair. _I am not bothered by this._ He began to turn back to his bed but froze. Harold was inches from him. Glaring at him with a fury that clutched at Ward's lungs. Ward stepped back, gasping in surprise, he stumbled back around his bed.

 _"-eatest disappointment of my life and you think you can just forget me?"_

Ward scrambled to the other side of the room, not taking his eyes off of the furious man. _"You don't get a happy ending, Ward. You don't **get** anything, you ungrateful brat!" _Ward stumbled further away, knocking into the dresser before backing to the wall. " _You belong to **me**!_"

A shuffling came from the other side of the room, "Ward?" Eva's quiet voice cut through the ravings as she stood from her chair and cautiously approached him. He didn't take his eyes off Harold, the man stalking around the bed, a vicious snarl on his face. "Ward, look at me." And then Eva's hand was on his shoulder, tugging on him to face her instead. His eyes glanced at her for only a fraction of a second before looking back towards the bed. The man was gone and Ward let go of the breath he was holding as he searched the room once more with his eyes. "Come on, Ward. Back to bed." He looked down at the woman as she rubbed her tired eyes with one hand and took his with her other.

Ward allowed himself to be guided back to the bed, breathing easier with just the two of them in the room. "Don't you have a room you should be sleeping in?" His voice is low and raw but she just shrugs as she returns to the chair, pulling the throw blanket back over her before closing her eyes. Ward sits back up in the large bed. "Why **are** you in here?"

She rubs her face again and sighs. "In case you need me, Ward." Her tone says it's the most obvious thing in the world and Ward rejects it instantly.

"You should go back to your own room." He turns to his side away from her. "I don't need anything."

She hums her acknowledgement, her voice disinterested, "No, you don't need anything."

Silence encompassed the room as she proceeded to ignore him and he shifted in the bed before smirking into the dim room. "Aren't you afraid of staying in here with me alone?"

The woman hummed again in confirmation. "Mhm, terrified." She didn't raise her head and kept her eyes closed as she continued trying to sleep.

His unwitnessed smirk edged dangerously close to a smile at her blatant lie. He slid back under the blankets and closed his eyes, waiting to fall asleep and listening to her steady breaths.

* * *

The next morning dawns and Ward opens his eyes reluctantly. He rolls over to check on Eva in her chair. She's gone and he frowns at the missing presence. He sat up slowly, still aware of the lightheadedness affecting his balance. _At least my own personal ghost isn't here._ He slowly made his way out of his room, waving off Danny as the man paused in his morning meditation. He shut the door to the bathroom, freshly showering before glancing in the mirror. There really was less grey around his eyes this morning and he cocked his head at the reflection. _I look nothing like Harold. And he's supposed to be my dad?_ He blinked before grabbing his tooth brush. _That feels like it should be significant too..._ He looks curiously at his eyes while he brushes his teeth before stepping out of the bathroom. Ward wandered to the kitchen, passing Colleen at the otherwise empty dining table. He poured himself a cup of coffee before returning to the dining room where Colleen and Danny now sat together. Ward listened, waiting to hear the noises of other bodies moving about the apartment, but he heard only silence. A picture taped to the wall caught his eye and he drifted towards it. A street view setting of a coffee shop peered back at him and he tilted his head as he looked at it.

"It's Eva and Kay's coffee shop." Ward turned to see Colleen standing by him. "As I understand it, you've been there often. Do you remember it?"

He glanced back at the picture taped to the wall, shaking his head with disinterest. "No." He turned and slowly wandered back to his room, eyeing the security door as he passed it by and glancing into the den. It was empty too. He paused in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. There were no noises there to meet him so he wandered back into his own room, leaving the light off as he went. He stopped at the chair Eva slept in, it wasn't empty after all. A folded paper sat on the cushion and he picked up, telling himself he wasn't eager to see if it said anything.

" _W,_

 _So I guess you're safe now. That's all I needed.  
_ _And you don't need anything. And you don't remember us.  
_ _It seems ridiculous that Kay and I are just in a stasis here  
_ _so we decided to return to our own lives, besides, you've got Danny.  
_ _And a girl can only miss so many classes. Kay can't afford any more absences.  
_ _She's got to get that degree and take over the world after all.  
_ _I guess Step 2 is finding a new mentor.  
_ _I have to get home to figure out how to sell the shop,  
_ _it's just not a good place anymore.  
_ _Good luck, Mr. News.  
_

 _-E_

 _P.S. I stole your jacket.  
_ _Kindly don't have me arrested.  
_ _It would be a low blow and honestly,  
_ _I probably couldn't make bail_."

Ward frowned. _That's it?_ He turned the paper over, the back was blank. _So much for being my romantic interest._ He cocked his head before folding the paper into a smaller piece and pocketing it. He straightened his shoulders and stretched. _She's selling her shop?_ Ward took another sip of his coffee before stalking out of his room, ignoring Colleen and Danny's look as he tore the sketch from the wall and returned to his bedroom. He sat on the chair and eyed the picture closely. He could just make out the street signs. _11th and Fen? That's not far from home._ He sat up and looked to the wall. _Home?_ Flashes of a destroyed condo filled his mind's eye, a frantic searching. _The walls have eyes? No. Ears. That's not right either._ _Both._ His eyes widened at the empty room. _The walls have both._ Ward glanced around his room. _Does this place have cameras and mics too? No. Why do I know that?_ He stood up and paced in the room wracking his sluggish brain for answers. _Because it's mine. I recently bought it. Along with..._ Images of other apartments flashed through his brain. _Two others?_ He shook his head in frustration and sat in Eva's chair. _Who the hell needs to own three safe houses?_ Nerves drove him to pace the floor again before sitting on the edge of his bed, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, fighting down the nausea. When he opened his eyes again a trail of blood smeared the carpet from his feet to the door and a white-handled dagger occupied his hand. He stood up quickly and threw the knife away from him, stepping back. In a blink the blood and the knife were gone.

He swallowed what felt like glass in his throat and reached in his pocket to pull the note free. He shoved the chair back into a corner and sat down, unfolding the note and rereading it. _Well_ s _he thinks I'm safe._ He clung to that thought, trying to erase the red from his mind. He pushed his hair back, feeling how hot his skin was and refolded the note, tucking it back into his pocket. Stretching his long legs before him, he slouched into the chair and closed his eyes once more. _I'm safe._ His confidence still did not run deep.


	15. Missed Connections

**I apologize, mystery audience, for the lack of updates and the short chapter. I fell into a rut these last few weeks and had difficulty getting out. Creeper McCreep patients every shift didn't help. Is it really so hard to be respectful of one's nurse's boundaries? Anyway, I've also had trouble thinking of a good way to bridge some of the story's elements. Regardless, I am ever hopeful to reach your lovely expectations. And thank you, you two, for the reviews. They really did make my days.**

Ward jerked awake, heaving for breath before stumbling frantically to the bathroom and throwing up the broth and coffee. He leaned against the wall and sank to the floor, panting. Shaky hands raised to push his bangs back and he noted the sweaty dampness of his hair. _I'm fine. I'm fine._ He repeated it in his head like a mantra until the image of a woman with dirty blond hair and desperate eyes flashed in his head. The knot in his chest squeezed and he gulped in air. _I'm fine!_ _I am!_

He shoved himself off the floor and leaned over the sink, shakily squeezing tooth paste on to his brush. As Ward straightened, his eyes moved to the mirror. The woman with desperate eyes stood behind him, a red flower blooming bloody at her side. He whirled around but the room was empty aside from him. Ward glanced back at the mirror, the woman was gone and he distantly noted that the grey was almost non-existent around his blackened eyes. Shifting his feet he took another deep breath. _I need to get out of here._

After rinsing his mouth, Ward slipped quietly from the bathroom and edged around the corner. Danny and Colleen lay on one of the couches, the television dim, inquiring if they were still watching and Ward didn't hear movement from the rest of the apartment. Colleen's purse on the dining table caught his eye and he cautiously opened it and tugging a small wallet out. _Just in case._ He waited a breath, the two remained still on the couch. Investigating the contents of the wallet, Ward liberated $40 before sliding the wallet back into the purse. He pocketed the money before padding back to his room, changing into real clothes and hunting for a coat. _Where am I anyway?_ As he shrugged on a jacket from the closet, he moved the curtains and glanced out the window. A sea of snowy rooftops lay beneath him. _Alright... Some of this is familiar. Maybe I can find Gao._ The thought made him blink. _Or I could just leave._ He tilted his head at the city scape before him. _I could go home._ He shook his head at that oddly uneasy thought and pulled his shoes on. _Regardless, with those morons sleeping, now is my chance and I may not get another._

Ward crept back through the den before pulling the door open. A click sounded as he tugged on the handle and he turned his gaze towards the couple on the couch. He was certain they had shifted, but they made no further movement. He slid out the apartment, carefully closing the door just far enough not to be open. _Another click may not be so fortunate._ He took in the outside area. _Stairs to my right, elevator to the left, door across the hall. Left it is._ Ward waited patiently for the metal doors to slide open before pushing the button for the lobby. The shiny metal doors reflected his dark eyes back at him until the slid open. He pushed his hair back and sucked in a breath before stepping out the door and confidently striding out building's front door. Looking ahead, he promptly backpedaled into the lobby and slid into the stairwell. He listened as Luke laughed softly at Claire's rant about a recent work shift. The elevator dinged open and the two stepped in. Ward was moving the moment the doors slid closed.

He darted out of the building a second time and turned the street corner, heading for home downtown. _First order of business is a heavier coat. I think I can find my place... There should be a spare set of debit cards in there._ He frowned. _But is that where they will look for me first?_ He cursed his decision to not close the door the whole way. _I should have risked it, they'll know I'm gone right off the bat!_ His breath fogged the air, dissipating snowflakes before him as he walked on, eyes glued to the ground until he paused at a don't walk light and looked up. _31st and Fen..._ He stared at the sign for a moment before shaking his head and crossing the street with a small throng of other civilians. The businessman struggled to ignore his grim faced father standing just a few feet away.

* * *

Minutes later, he hated to admit it, even just to himself, but he was freezing and exhausted. _I need to actually keep something down... I have zero energy._ He turned a corner and walked back to Fen Street against the falling snow. Dragging his gaze up from the pavement, Ward dipped into a dirty alley. He cautiously leaned over and watched as Danny, Colleen, and Eva stood arguing in the cold air before the shop. Ward shivered against the cold and watched as the group split up, Danny quickly walking down the street away from him, joining the ever present foot traffic, and Colleen angrily waving down one of the few taxis and climbing in. Eva turned and re-entered her shop. He waited a handful of minutes, his fists tucked into his pockets for warmth before trotting across the street and testing the door, ignoring the 'Closed' sign.

The door pulled open and Ward slipped inside the dimly lit shop, turning the lock behind him before straightening his shoulders and stepping further in. He could hear rummaging noises from beyond the doorway behind the counter and followed the sounds. Rubbing his hands together to warm them, Ward tread softly passed the counter and turned the corner to the back kitchen before leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. Eva was stretching to reach a canister on the second to highest shelf. He smirked, "You know-" Eva whipped around, smoothly pulling a butcher knife from the block beside her. Ward raised an eyebrow as she stared back at him with startled eyes, "Anyway, you should really start locking your door. Don't worry though," he smiled condescendingly. "I did it for you."

Eva raised her eyes to the ceiling in a silent prayer. "What are you doing here, Ward?" Her shaking hand left the knife back in the block before she crossed her own arms to hide the trembling.

Ward left the wall, encroaching on her space. "Warming up?" He reached over her and pulled the canister from the shelf, offering it to her with a sarcastic smile as she shrank away. "'Baby, it's cold outside.'"

She huffed and tightened her lips, stepping passed him and grabbing a cup, ignoring the canister in his hands. He left it on the counter and followed her to the front where she added a green tea bag and hot water before sitting down in an over stuffed chair in the corner with a book and pointedly ignoring him. Ward frowned as she refused to look at him. He cocked his head, "Well don't let me interrupt-"

"You can leave. Or stay. I don't care." She forced the words out of her mouth, looking at the floor. "I won't call the others. I'm not getting into it. Just don't..." Angry tears flooded her eyes and she blinked furiously as she stood back up, rushing back to the counter and abandoning her cup.

Ward watched curiously, "don't what?"

A shiver wracked her shoulders as she barked a bitter laugh and looked back up at the ceiling and then at the floor. "Don't remind me that you're here." _Ouch._ Ward frowned at her request. "Please."

 _That's not what I want._ Ward tilted his head at the thought. _I don't want anything from her though._ He scratched the back of his head as she returned to the back kitchen. He silently followed and watched her stretch her neck and shoulders before opening the fridge, still determined not to face him. An odd desire to rub her skin prickled through his hands and he just knew she would be soft and warm and comfortable. He shoved his hands in his pockets again. "I have questions for you though... and we need to talk." She gave a frustrated sigh at his statements. "First, this seems like a nice enough place," he freed a hand from his pockets to spin a nearby spice rack. "Why sell?"

Her glare was a flash in the pan before she turned back to the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs. "Stop talking to me-"

He sighed at her rejection, his voice tired. "Don't tell me what to do, Eva." The second the belligerent words left his mouth they both froze, Eva's eyes locked on him and a knot in his chest engulfed his lungs for the span of a whole breath before he raised his chin and looked away. He cleared his throat and the knot shrunk back down. "I'm just saying, this place looks like it does well." Silence greeted his comment before she blinked and turned away once more, pulling a skillet over and setting it on a burner. _That was painfully uncomfortable. Maybe a change of subject then._ His eyes returned to her briefly before sliding passed her to the wall beyond. His suit jacket hung from a peg. Ward frowned. "Why did you steal-"

"Can you really please just not?" Her shoulders were slumped as she leaned against the oven bar in front of the stove. Ward stepped just behind her, reaching for the article when her hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. "No, don't!" He fought the urge to yank away in favor of looking down at her questioningly.

"Well I think I have a right to it." He muttered as he cocked his head. "Or are you going to tell me why you just had to take it?"

Eva stared at her hand on his arm, swallowing thickly, and when she spoke her voice was barely a whisper. "I miss you." Ward blinked owlishly down at her in surprise as she let go of his arm and tilted her head against his chest. "Alright? I just- I miss you." She folded her arms to herself and pressed against his front.

Ward hesitantly redirected his hand to settle on her shoulder. _Maybe coming in here wasn't a good idea._ After a few heartbeats, she hadn't pulled away so he awkwardly rubbed her arm and could feel her shaking against him, her quick breathing belied her crying. He resigned himself to the uncomfortable situation and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. _How do I get out now?_ He swallowed and shook his head, "Alright. Keep it then." She shivered in his arms and he had a vague feeling of deja vu as he unintentionally tightened his grip on her.

"You idiot." She buried her head against him harder. "You're such an idiot."

The corner of his lips twitched. "And why am I an idiot now?" A muffled response sounded into his chest and he understood none of it. "Come again?"

She huffed into him before turning just enough for her voice to escape. "Because I miss you."

 _Yes, you said that already._ He frowned over her head as she tucked close once more. "How is that my fault?"

She pulled away then, keeping her head down and wiping her cheeks. He let her go and let his arms hang empty at his sides. Ward himself was exhausted but the level of **tired** and **done** seeping from the dejected woman in front of him kept him silent. They didn't speak for a couple breaths before she shook her head at the floor and walked deeper into the kitchen. Ward hesitantly followed after until she slowly stepped through a doorway and shut it behind her, cutting off his view of her and the stairs beyond. _I guess I'm not invited._

Ward hummed curiously to himself before walking back to the cup of tea she left. He collected it for himself before leaning against the counter to drink it, glancing at the egg carton on the counter with a frown. _I might keep that down._ Moments later he was sitting on the counter top in the kitchen, taking slow small bites of a scrambled egg. _Yeah, food's not so hard. I feel fine. This is fine._ He glanced at the door in the back again and waited. No sounds came from the other side. No footsteps coming down the stairs. He pulled the cast iron skillet from the burner and quickly washed and rinsed it before drying and re-seasoning the pan, desperate to occupy his mind. He leaned against the counter and looked around. _Still quiet._ He paced to the front and switched off the rest of the lights before returning to the kitchen. As Ward stepped into the warmer room he glanced up in time to see Harold close the door behind him, disappearing into the stairwell. Ward paused. _That was a hallucination right?_ Anxiety roiled in his stomach and he swallowed against the pressure in his chest. _It wasn't him. He wasn't there. He's dead._ He turned his head, watching the door from the corner of his eye. The sound of footsteps leading up the stairs squeezed at the knot in Ward's chest.

He pulled the door open and cautiously moved up the steps, wincing at each creek and groan from the stairs. _Have I even been up here before?_ He paused midway up at a particularly loud creek and stared down at the carpet covered steps. An image of her laying back on stairs beneath him floated through his head, her shirt tugged up at her waist and down off her shoulder. Her jeans undone and her eyes wide with want staring back at him as her hands pulled him closer. A light smile on her face, just for him. He stayed in the stairwell a moment, taking a deep steadying breath. _Okay. So there might be some merit to her and I being a thing._ Ward pushed his hair back and proceeded up the stairs.

At the top was a landing with another door off to the side, Ward tested it and the door gave way to a warm-colored living space. _She really does need to get better at locking her doors._ Drowning in anxiety, he stepped in to the open concept apartment. A small kitchen resided to his left and a closet sat to his right. Half walls broke the small apartment into kitchen, dining, and living rooms. An open door showed a bathroom. _That means this is the bedroom._ He timidly approached the closed door. There was no sign of Harold. _Unless he's in her room... I don't want to go in her room._ He turned away from her door before pausing to listen. It was quiet in the apartment that smelled like trees and candles. He blinked away a vision of woods with falling leaves and a dirt trail to a shabby old bench.

Ward glanced at her door again. _I want to go in there._ He paled at the silent admission and pushed his hair back again. It felt matted and damp yet again from the sweat and the snow. _I'll borrow her shower. And then I'll go back downstairs._.. _If I don't wake her._ Ward couldn't tell if he hoped the woman would sleep through his noise or not as he softly closed the bathroom door and investigated the cupboards for a towel and Tylenol before starting up the shower. He climbed in, welcoming the warmth against his exhausted body. There were men's hair products and body wash covered with grimey dust on one of the shower caddy's shelves. He frowned at it. _Doesn't seem like a brand I would use._ He checked his memory for any sign of a wedding ring on the woman's hand. _So she's presumably unmarried. An old boyfriend's?_ He winced at the smell as he checked it. _Yeah, not using that._ He hesitantly grabbed the more feminine of the soaps and sniffed it before freezing. A feeling of the woman crying in his arms again. Sobbing. He swallowed and set the bottle down, letting the hot water cascade on him. _She's a widow._ He tilted his head. _She killed her husband because he was hurting her._ He pushed his hair back and wiped water out of his eyes. _That's why the scars were significant- at least part of it. What was the other part?_ He furrowed his brow as he scrubbed the dried sweat from his body. _I know there's something more! I know it!_ His head pounded as he tilted his head back again in resignation. _I can't think anymore right now._ He exited the shower and toweled off, pulling on his clothes before creeping back down the stairs.

Ward grabbed a pile of quilts from Eva's chair in the corner and carried them around the bookshelves to an isolated couch. He stretched out and covered up, too tired to do anything more than fall asleep quickly.

* * *

Eva stretched, roaring out a yawn before curling deeper into her blankets once more. _Wait._ She sat up and checked her phone. _3:52. Did Ward leave?_ She slipped from her bed and padded to her bathroom, frowning with questions at the extra towel hanging from the rack and her bottle of Tylenol sitting on the counter by the sink. She brushed her teeth slowly, tentatively touching the towel with her free hand. It felt damp. _What? Somebody's been using my towels?_ Tooth brush still in mouth, she pulled the shower curtain back and furrowed her brow. Water droplets were still drying on the porcelain. _Somebody's been using my shower._ She washed her face, padding it dry with her own towel before cautiously stepping out of the bathroom. _So he came up here?_ She fought back the anxiety that he had come into her home without her knowledge. _Well he's not up here now..._ She began a pep talk as she approached the door leading downstairs. _It's fine. He hasn't hurt me. He's probably long gone._

Eva tip toed through the kitchen and into the shop front. _No Goldilocks here..._ She turned the corner of a bookshelf and heard a shift from the next nook over. She peeked around the corner and swallowed. _There he is._ Ward laid on the couch, an arm tucked behind his head and the knees bent just enough to not stick off the end. He was covered with two of her mother's quilts and a smile tugged at her lips. She snuck closer to the sleeping man. His hair looked damp in the shadowy light filtering in from the street and despite the grey being gone from around his eyes, the skin was still ragged with fatigue. _He must be exhausted these days with everything going on..._ She carefully tugged a corner of the quilt over his sock-covered feet. _Maybe_ _I should be more welcoming when he wakes up. It's got to be confusing, being messed with like that._

Eva quietly sat down in a nearby lazy boy and drew a blanket over her, tucking her feet under for warmth. _I'll be more together when he wakes up._ She leaned her head against the pillowy chair. _I_ ' _ll_ _be more supportive. He's not a threat, and he need help now._ She sat still, watching the rise and fall of his shoulders with his shallow breaths. _Even if he won't admit it._ Her smile rested more easily at the thought of his stubborn denial.

* * *

Eva was woken up by a yawn from the couch followed by a groan and the shifting of blankets. She silently watched as the weakened man opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing a hand over his face.

Her voice sounded sleepy to her own ears, "Good morning, Goldilocks."

Ward's hand froze and he turned his head to her, furrowing his brows. "Do you have a thing against spending a whole night in a bed?"

Eva forced a smile. _Supportive. I can do this._ She gave a shrug before countering. "Don't you have, like, a dozen supernaturally comfy beds you could be sleeping in?" He frowned back at her before rubbing his healing shoulder. She cleared her throat. "So... How is your appetite these days? Do you think you can keep some breakfast down?" His frown deepened and he glanced around the room before giving her a brief, tentative nod. She stared back at him intently as his eyes settled off to the side, discomfort radiating from him. "Ok... So, what? Oatmeal? Eggs? Tears of frightened Rand employees?"

His lip finally twitched up as he refocused on her. "I could try some oatmeal." He moved to stand only for her to jump up and shake her head.

"I got it." They looked at one another cautiously. "You relax, you- you still seem tired."

After a breath of hesitation, he nodded back to her silently. But when she walked away she heard him follow after. _It's fine that you can't see him. He isn't going to hurt you. You're okay. You don't have to turn around._ She repeatedly calmed herself as she pulled a pot from a cupboard and set about making the hot cereal, ignoring him when he leaned against the wall just inside the kitchen, one of the quilts still wrapped loosely around his shoulders.

"So your stomach is feeling better then?" She risked a glance in his direction and he nodded, still steadily watching her. She took a deep breath before leaning against the counter on the other side of the kitchen and facing him. "You still look pale though. Is your fever gone?"

"I don't know," he turned away, looking at random objects on the shelves. "I'm fine."

"Yeah," she drew the words out. "I bet." He blinked back at her as she left the kitchen to go back up to her apartment. When she came back down she had a thermometer and her bottle of Tylenol, she held both out to Ward, still unable to make herself get closer to the man. He gave a tight lipped smiled and accepted the items, only using the thermometer when Eva leveled a pointed look at him.

She heard it's beep as she slowly stirred milk into the boiling water. Shooting a brief look over she watched as he checked the label on the medication bottle and pulled the cap off before dry swallowing a tablet. Eva rolled her eyes, stirring the pot. "Water glasses are just in front of you."

He looked curiously at her, irritation drifting into his voice. "You don't need to baby me, I-"

"Clearly I do!" She turned and glared up at the tall man. _When did he get closer?_ "Especially if you, delirious, fevered, and still recovering think it's a good idea to walk a couple miles at night. During a snow storm." He winced. "In 26 degree weather!" He looked away and shuffled his feet. "Now drink some damn water, Ward! You need it!" He rolled his eyes once more and yanked a glass from the shelf. _Oh thank god I thought I'd have to shove the hose down his throat- for his own good._

She pulled a container of brown sugar from the shelf and left it on the counter before turning and looking for a package of mixed dried berries. She winced at the second to the top shelf. _I will not miss this goddamn shop!_ Eva hauled her knees on to the counter before stretching to reach for the bag. "Don't." She felt Ward's hand on her lower back. "I'll get it. Get down before you break your clumsy neck."

"I am not-" she turned to defend herself to find him right behind her once again. From this close she could see the red rimming his eyes, the concern he quickly replaces with neutrality, and the small white clouds in the grey surrounding his irises. She swallowed a lump in her throat at the heat radiating from him. "I'm not clumsy."

He smirked at her, inches away. "Of course not." He reached passed her once more and grabbed the packet. "There. Now get off the counter." Ward stepped away, carelessly dropping the package next to the sugar container. "One would think it would kill you to ask for help."

She scoffed, "You're one to talk!" _Supportive! Be supportive!_

"What?" He tilted his head innocently, "I'm doing fine."

"Yeah," she nodded, disbelief apparent on her face and sarcasm laced in her voice. "Yeah, you're doing just fine."

Ward smirked again, leaning back against the wall. "I am." He watched her intently, eyes sinking to her lips before swiftly drifting off across the kitchen. "I'm getting bits of memory back and everything."

Eva froze and stared at him. _Bastard! He's playing with me._ "Liar."

He brought his eyes back to hers, eyebrows raised. "Liar?" A smile was tugging at his lips.

She took a deep, shaky breath before shifting her feet and crossing her arms. _Supportive. Welcoming. You can do this._ "Sorry. What do you remember?" She tried to keep the challenge from her voice.

Ward paled slightly under her demand and cleared his throat, all he could think of was her on the stairs. "Nothing important."

Eva tilted her head, eyebrow raised as he busied himself grabbing bowls from another shelf and looking through the drawers for spoons. "You don't remember anything." She bitterly mumbled, grabbing the spoons from a silverware cup in front of them and dropping them by the bowls.

He glared at her before resignation flashed across his eyes and smirking he leaned against the wall. "Fine. I remember you on the stairs." Ward watched her closely as she stared back with confusion.

"What sta- Oh." Her face turned red and she turned away, looking down and stirring the oatmeal. _Well fuck, there ya go._

His low, spiteful chuckle made the void in her chest wobble uncertainly as he took slow steps further into the kitchen, leaning against the counter by the stove, by her.

She cleared her throat. "Anything else?" She kept her eyes on the stove as she picked up the wooden spoon to stir the oatmeal.

Ward hummed, shifting his feet and when he continued, his voice was quietly gentle with pity. "You had a husband. And he was less than he should have been." Eva's hand shook as she stirred. Mere heartbeats passed before he turned to her and added, "I also think you have a serious problem with stealing peoples' coats." Her laugh was sudden and broken. Ward stepped behind her and slowly wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in the warm blanket with him and holding her as she cried. He rubbed her arms and rested his cheek against her head before reaching forward and stirring the thickened cereal. "I think there are still bits missing of course," he murmured into her hair as she cried. "Maybe some giant chunks too. I don't know yet." She turned around and huddled to his chest.

"Stop making me cry," she clutched his shirt.

"Maybe later..." Ward hummed and pressed a tentative kiss to the top of her head. "I'm sorry." His voice was soft against her hair as she clung to him. "And I think the oatmeal is going to burn."

Eva didn't back away from him. "Then you fix it." She stayed buried against his chest as he sighed and reached passed her to remove the pot from the burner. _I'm never leaving this spot again._

But it was Ward who stepped away, holding her in place and directing her face up so they could look eye to eye. "Hey, do you think you'd be willing to clear some things up for me?" He traced a finger along her jaw and she swallowed as she gave a light nod. _I don't think I could say 'no' to a thing right now... "_ Alright," he nodded back to her, wiping her tears with a steady thumb. "But let's eat before it gets cold."

 _God, he probably thinks I'm such a cry baby._ Eva nodded again and turned, separating the hot cereal between the two bowls as Ward carried the berries and sugar to a table in front. She followed after with the dishes, avoiding meeting his gaze. Her voice wobbled slightly as she stared solemnly at her bowl, "The most important thing from the last few days..." Ward froze, waiting with dread and anticipation as he watched her hand shakily pick up her spoon. "You called me a mouse and still haven't apologized."


End file.
